Personal tactical system and network

ABSTRACT

A personal tactical system including a load-bearing garment, a pouch with one or more batteries enclosed in the pouch, at least one power distribution and data hub, and at least one camera. The camera is incorporated into or removably attachable to the load-bearing garment, the pouch is removably attachable to the load-bearing garment and the one or more batteries are operable to supply power to the at least one power distribution and data hub. The at least one power distribution and data hub is operable to supply power to at least one peripheral device. A plurality of personal tactical systems is operable to form an ad hoc network to share images and other information for determining object direction, location, and movement.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to and claims priority from the followingU.S. patents and patent applications: this application is a continuationof U.S. application Ser. No. 17/197,800, filed Mar. 10, 2021, which acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/838,615, issued as U.S.Pat. No. 10,951,865, filed Apr. 2, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/965,098, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,616,534,filed Apr. 27, 2018, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. applicationSer. No. 15/886,351, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,531,590, filed Feb. 1,2018, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.15/836,259, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,476,054, filed Dec. 8, 2017,which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/720,270,issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,461,289, filed Sep. 29, 2017, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/520,821, issued asU.S. Pat. No. 9,780,344, filed Oct. 22, 2014. U.S. application Ser. No.15/720,270, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,461,289, is also acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/664,776, issued asU.S. Pat. No. 11,462,649, filed Jul. 31, 2017, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/470,382, issued asU.S. Pat. No. 11,302,987, filed Mar. 27, 2017, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/516,127, filed Oct.16, 2014, now abandoned. Each of the U.S. applications mentioned aboveis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to portable equipment formilitary, law enforcement, aviation, personal survival, hiking,sporting, recreation, hunting, and camping applications and, moreparticularly, to a portable battery pack comprising a battery enclosedby a wearable and replaceable pouch or skin.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Portable power sources are used in, for example, military applications,law enforcement applications, aviation applications, wilderness andpersonal survival applications, hiking and camping applications,sporting and recreation applications, hunting applications, landsurveying and expedition applications, and disaster relief efforts. Forexample, portable battery packs exist for carrying in a backpack or forwearing on the body. These battery packs, however, can be heavy andinconvenient to access and connect to devices requiring electricalpower. Further, some applications require that the appearance of thebattery pack blend with the environment in which they are used. Currentbattery packs, however, might not offer flexibility of appearance or theconsumer is forced to buy one battery pack for one environment and adifferent battery pack for a different environment.

Additionally, portable battery packs are increasingly required toprovide power to a plurality of peripheral electronic devices. Theplurality of peripheral electronic devices is often connected to a powerdistribution and data hub, which supplies power to the plurality ofperipheral electronic devices and transfers data between the peripheralelectronic devices.

Prior art patent documents include the following:

U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,833 for personal surveillance system with locatingcapabilities by inventor James P. Evans, filed Feb. 21, 2003 and issuedAug. 31, 2004, is directed to a personal surveillance system configuredto be worn by an individual includes a communication system configuredto record communication files, a locating system configured to determinea location of the personal surveillance system, and a transmitterconfigured to send the communication files and the location of thepersonal surveillance system to a remote monitoring station. Thelocating system includes a satellite system interface configured todetermine the location of the personal surveillance system and analternate positioning system configured to determine the location of thepersonal surveillance system in at least one situation where thesatellite system interface cannot determine the location of the personalsurveillance system.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,124,593 for temperature conditioning apparatus for thetrunk of a human body by inventor Steve Feher, filed Sep. 2, 2003 andissued Oct. 24, 2006, is directed to a temperature conditioningapparatus for the human body includes a vest or other clothing unitarywith a thermoelectric or Stirling cycle heat pump worn by the user. Theunit is powered by a battery source worn on the user's belt or otherpart of his or her body, or by an externally-mounted electrical energysource, for example, in a vehicle. The vest has front and rear panelswith an air flow layer and permeable inside layer that accept andrelease conditioned air to the user. In one example embodiment, the vestis used with body armor or other protective layers, that is, the vest isworn underneath body armor or body armor is built into the vest, or thevest is used without body armor to cool the user in an exceptionally hotenvironment such as a non-air conditioned space in hot weather.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,624,453 for modular garment by inventor Frederic Rene etal., filed Jun. 5, 2007 and issued Dec. 1, 2009, is directed to amodular garment having: a thick and relatively inflexible protectivefirst garment, intended for optional wear; and an electronic garmenthaving a flexible central part at the back and two side parts; the widthof the central part is adjustable so that it can be made narrow or wide(depending on whether the electronic garment is worn on its own or overthe first garment); several electrical and/or electronic devices aresupported by the side parts; and at least one electrical cable runsacross the inside face of the electronic garment between the electricaldevices, the at least one electrical cable being attached to the sideparts without being attached to the central part in front of which itruns freely along a curved path so as to be able to adapt to themodifications in the width of the central part.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,805,114 for in situ re-configurable wirelesscommunications system (ircwcs) by inventor W. Vincent Quintana, et al.,filed Nov. 26, 2002 and issued Sep. 28, 2010, is directed to an In SituRe-Configurable Wireless Communications System (IRCWCS) in combinationwith a wearable computer provides an individual user at a publicgathering place, fixed facility or non-stationary object with new andenhanced capabilities. In one embodiment of the invention, there-configurable wireless communication system includes a portablewireless access unit and a Long Range Ethernet (LRE) network switch thatconnects to an existing LAN. A bridge device such as an LRE puckconnects the portable wireless access unit to the LRE network switchthrough a communications infrastructure. A wearable computer in wirelesscommunication with the portable wireless access unit using a radiofrequency link allows communication of video, voice and data to and fromthe existing LAN through the LRE network switch. The LRE network switchcouples to a central command station through the existing LAN.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,984,666 for protective outer garment apparatus withviewing window for handheld items by inventor Salvatore LoBue, filedMar. 7, 2014 and issued Mar. 24, 2015, is directed to a protective outergarment apparatus is disclosed which incorporates an at least oneviewing window therein. Thus, as user is able to keep a handheld itempositioned underneath or otherwise within an interior of the garmentwhile still being able to safely view the item through the viewingwindow from an optimal viewing angle.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,138,022 for wearable window pockets for wireless devicesby inventor Susan J. Walker, filed Dec. 10, 2011 and issued Sep. 22,2015, is directed to a scarf comprising: (1) a length of fabric having afirst end, a second end, a front surface defining a first opening, and arear surface defining a second opening; and (2) a pocket disposed on thelength of fabric. In various embodiments, when a wireless device isdisposed within the pocket in a particular position, (1) the firstopening is sized to allow a user to view at least a portion of a screenof the wireless device through the first opening; (2) the second openingis adapted so that the second opening aligns with a camera lens of thewireless device; and (3) the first opening and the second opening areadapted so that the user may operate the wireless device to cause thewireless device to use the camera lens to take a photograph through thesecond opening.

U.S. Publication No. 20040154076 for garment and detachable garmentliner having a secure and integrated pocket system by inventor JeasungJay Yoo, filed Feb. 5, 2004 and published Aug. 12, 2004, is directed toan outer garment that can be fashionably acceptable for either businessand/or casual use is provided. The outer garment can, optionally,include inner pocket(s). The inner pocket(s) are generally accessiblefrom inner surface of the outer garment.

U.S. Publication No. 20040237178 for self-contained on land on water inair protective apparatus for mass protection and mass continuation byinventor Gaspar Landeros, filed May 25, 2004 and published Dec. 2, 2004,is directed to inventions that aspire to improve the protection forhuman beings, against extreme conditions, where conventional safety andprotective equipment are not practical for use in mass protection andmass continuation of human beings. My invention is designed to improvethe chances of survival, because of the ability to collect, andrecirculate the air through air-filters, for human consumption and forheating and cooling of the body. All of these is done by the airsupplied by the air-compressors integrated to the protective suit, andwith a minimal of stress to the lungs, because the person does not haveto suck air through APR respirators once the air-tanks are filled withair. Also, improve the chances of survival in extreme conditions becauseof the diversity of tools and the toughness of the materials used. Alldone without the aid of electric motors or fans.

U.S. Publication No. 20070030146 for sensor-based communications deviceactivator by inventor James Shepherd, filed Aug. 2, 2006 and publishedFeb. 8, 2007, is directed to a sensor-based communications deviceactivator, including a first signal transmitting device having a sensorand a second signal transmitting device, which may be preprogrammed toautomatically alert emergency rescue personnel to the location of anindividual who, due to an emergency, is unable to alert the emergencypersonnel on his/her own behalf. When one or more stimuli are sensed bythe sensor, the activator directs a communications device, optionallyincluding a GPS-based location tracking technologies component, tocontact an emergency service. Alternatively, a manual alert device ofthe activator may be activated by the user to achieve this same result.Whether the communications device is contacted automatically ormanually, the emergency service not only will learn that the individualis in danger, but can also learn, via the GPS-based component, thelocation of the endangered individual.

U.S. Publication No. 20070245444 for specialty clothing designed to holdportable electronic devices by inventor William Brink, filed Apr. 14,2006 and published Oct. 25, 2007, is directed to clothing and morespecifically to garments designed and customized to securely restrainportable electronic devices. The clothing has at least one pocket thatmay be specifically sized to a known electronic device shape or may beadjustable to devices of various shapes to provide a snug, secure and,safe environment for the electronic device and any electronic deviceaccessories. The pocket also may contain a channel leading from thepocket to one or more openings near the top of the garment to allow foraccess to headphones. Further, channels may lead from one pocket to oneor more additional pockets to allow for interconnectivity between anelectronic device and an electronic device accessory. The internalchannels may also contain a strap to secure wires associated with aportable electronic device or accessory in place.

U.S. Publication No. 20090272773 for multi-function backpack-vest deviceby inventor Jose Andrade, filed May 1, 2009 and published Nov. 5, 2009,is directed to a multi-function backpack-vest that allows for sizeadjustment so that the backpack-vest may be worn by any user, regardlessof size. The backpack-vest has various compartments in which users mayplace items. Some of these compartments are so designed that body-armor,personal floatation materials or insulation material may be placedwithin them. Also, the backpack-vest features a compartment in which alaptop may be placed and when housed in said compartment the laptop willbe supported on a work platform, which is supported by straps on eitherside of said platform, connecting the platform to the backpack-vest.

U.S. Publication No. 20110097069 for camera device by inventor SarahLouise Braithwaite, filed Jan. 23, 2009 and published Apr. 28, 2011, isdirected to a camera head mount comprising: a strap for encircling thehead and means for securing the strap around the head to prevent orhinder slippage of the camera head mount once secured in its mountedposition; a camera holding pocket provided on the strap and situatedsuch that when the camera head mount is secured in its mounted positionthe camera holding pocket is adapted to hold a camera in aforward-facing position against the forehead of the user, the lens of amounted camera pointing forwards and through a lens aperture provided inthe camera holding pocket at the front thereof, the camera holdingpocket otherwise being adapted substantially to enclose a camera thereinin a mounted and supported position on the forehead of the user.

U.S. Publication No. 20120060261 for garment pocket for touch screenmobile devices by inventor Ben Raviv, filed Dec. 31, 2010 and publishedMar. 15, 2012, is directed to a garment-engaged pocket housing forportable electronic devices provides a body engaged mount for use ofsuch devices. The pocket housing provides a pocket for the electronicdevice on the sleeve of a garment. A front wall of the pocket is formedof transparent material allowing finger input to the device within thepocket and a view of the device display. A remote antenna may beprovided for reception as well as shielding in the rear of the pocket toprotect the user against RF transmission. The pocket housing may beremovably engaged. A fabric conduit along the sleeve provides apassageway for earphones and the like while also preventing stretchingof the sleeve from the weight of the device.

U.S. Publication No. 20120186000 for t-shirt pocket for touch screenmobile devices by inventor Ben Raviv, filed Jan. 23, 2012 and publishedJul. 26, 2012, is directed to a garment pocket for a shirt or T-shirtformed of textile fabric. The pocket is configured to house atouchscreen-operated electronic device such as a smartphone or padcomputer or PDA when positioned therein through the employment of afront wall formed of transparent material formed of polymeric materialadapted to communicate the touch of a user's fingers to the touchscreenthrough the transparent material. A closure is employed to retain theelectronic device in the pocket. A channel formed in the textile shirtfabric provides a conduit for wires engaged to the electronic device inthe pocket to communicate to the collar area of the shirt such as forheadphones. Stitching in the textile fabric between the pocketengagement area of the shirt to the shoulder area of the shirtcommunicates and distributes the weight in the pocket to the shoulderarea of the shirt.

U.S. Publication No. 20140082814 for apparel systems, wearable itemsystems, decor systems, and other systems and designs by inventor MarkB. Rober, et al., filed Oct. 18, 2013 and published Mar. 27, 2014, isdirected to systems and methods for apparel, wearable items, decoritems, and other apparatuses configured to support a handheld deviceconfigured to generate a display are presented. Some garments arepresented that have a wearable pocket for at least partially supportinga handheld device configured to generate a display that is at leastpartially visible through one or more apertures in the garment. Someapparel systems are presented that are configured to display ananimation through a wearable prop. Ornamental designs for surfaceindicia, including color surface indicia, are also presented.

U.S. Publication No. 20140101831 for vest assembly by inventor AlfieroF. Balzano, filed Jan. 11, 2013 and published Apr. 17, 2014, is directedto a vest assembly is provided for use by a wearer. The vest assemblycomprises a vest body, a plurality of communication components disposedwithin the vest body, an antenna disposed within, or otherwise connectedto the vest body, a rechargeable power supply, and a thermoelectrictransducer assembly for converting body thermal energy into electricalenergy to recharge the power supply and/or power the communicationcomponents. The antenna is in electrical communication with at least oneof the plurality of communication components.

U.S. Publication No. 20150216245 for athletic apparel with a pocketlocated on or near the hip region for holding a mobile device or musicplayer by inventor Mark Kinsley, filed Oct. 4, 2014 and published Aug.6, 2015, is directed to athletic pants/shorts/skirts having arectangular shaped pocket located on or near the hip region with theaperture located on or near the waistband area creating a space forsnugly restraining a mobile device, while limiting anterior andposterior exposure to environmental factors, objects and equipment thatcould come into contact with the device(s) and preventing the devicefrom being laid upon when the wearer is performing exercises thatrequire the posterior or anterior region to come into contact withequipment or other environmental factors. The present invention alsomoves the location of the mobile device closer to an athlete's ears thana standard inset pocket providing a headphone cord more flexibility.

U.S. Publication No. 20150263377 for flexible batteries by inventorLouise Brooks, et al., filed Oct. 2, 2013 and published Sep. 17, 2015,is directed to flexible batteries, comprising at least two cells,wherein at least two cells are connected by flexible connectors, suchthat the battery can be bent. The batteries can be incorporated intoclothing and gear.

U.S. Publication No. 20160360146 for user-worn recording system byinventor Patrick W. Smith, filed Jul. 29, 2015 and published Dec. 8,2016, is directed to a body-worn system for capturing visual and audioinformation. The body-worn system includes a housing having a first endportion and a second end portion. The first end portion has a firstopening and the second end portion has a second opening. The housing isformed of a flexible material that retains its shape after beingmanipulated. A camera is positioned in the housing so that the cameracaptures visual information through the first opening. A microphone ispositioned in the housing so that the microphone captures audioinformation through the second opening. The housing fits at leastpartially around a user's neck. The first end portion and the second endportion are manipulated so that first opening and the second opening areoriented toward the field of view of the user while the housing ispositioned around the neck of the user.

U.S. Publication No. 20170045337 for smart wearable mine detector byinventor Chiwook Kim, filed Apr. 17, 2015 and published Feb. 16, 2017,is directed to improving the problems of conventional mine detectors,the purpose of the present invention is to provide a smart wearable minedetector comprising a human body antenna unit, a main microprocessorunit, a smart eyeglasses unit, a body-mounted LCD monitor unit, awireless data transmission and reception unit, a belt-type power supplyunit, a black box-type camera unit, and a security communicationheadset, the smart wearable mine detector: can be detachably worn on thehead, torso, arm, waist, leg and the like of a body while a combatuniform is worn, thereby having excellent compatibility withconventional combat uniforms; enables a human body antenna unit which isdetachably attached to a body and detects a mine through a superhigh-frequency RF beam and a neutron technique to be applied so as todetect the mine by identifying metals, nonmetals, and initial explosivesof the mine; enables mines buried on the ground and under the ground tobe detected in all directions (360.degree.), and a distance, location,form, and materials of the mines to be exhibited on smart eyeglasses anda body-mounted LCD monitor unit in real time as 2D or 3D images suchthat a combatant can engage in battle avoiding mines, thereby improvingcombat efficiency by 90% when compared to existing combat efficiency;enables a battle to be carried out for three to seven days through atwin self-power supply system of a portable battery and a belt-typepower supply unit even without need for charging power; and enablescombat situations in a remote place to be monitored, in real time, in aremote combat command server, and allows each combatant to share combatinformation one to one such that it is possible to construct a smartcombat command system capable of remotely commanding real combatsituations as if one was on site of the battle.

U.S. Publication No. 20170245567 for articles of clothing withintegrated portable mobile electronic device enhancements by inventorAndy Fathollahi, et al., filed Jan. 3, 2017 and published Aug. 31, 2017,is directed to articles of clothing having integrated portableelectronic device enhancement features are disclosed. The articles ofclothing include a plurality of pockets configured to securely storeelectronic devices and accessories therefore and cable routing toprovide seamless integration and connectivity between those deviceswhile allowing user accessibility. A flexible rechargeable battery isalso provided and configured to integrate into one or more pockets andconnect to other electronic devices through passages positioned withinthe article of clothing. A wireless Bluetooth media controller isuniquely integrated into the article of clothing to facilitate externalwireless control of devices contained within the article of clothing.The articles of clothing are configured to allow liners to be fastenedthere-within yet maintain usability of cable routing features in thearticle of clothing and user accessibility to mobile devicecompartments.

U.S. Publication No. 20170280797 for pocket design for garments to allowmobile device users hands free recording of video, audio and other databy inventor Terrence Roy Bayliss, filed Apr. 3, 2016 and published Oct.5, 2017, is directed to a pocket that is incorporated into a garment tohold a mobile device safely and securely on the wearer with its sensorsexposed such that the mobile device functionality relative to datacollection or utilization (audio, video, photographic and other data) ispossible in a hands free nature. This will allow a user, without theneed for special cases or harnesses, to do hands free POV (Point ofView) video recording, photographs, audio recording, and otherapplication driven data collection such as GPS trip mapping,environmental data collection, and two way voice activatedcommunication. The intention is to have the pocket to be a part of manytypes of clothing consumers wear, so the mobile device is easily put touse for the described functions, is readily available when needed and isa convenient and inexpensive alternative to special harnesses, holdersor carriers. The invention also carries out the functions of a standardmobile device holster or harness such that the user can access thedevice for playing music or other functions in a hands free manner.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,501,725 for instrument structure for portable testingvoltmeters by inventor Knopp, filed Apr. 9, 1945 and issued Mar. 28,1950, is directed to portable electric voltage testers and moreparticularly in the instruments used in such testers; for indicating thevalues of alternating and direct current voltages, and the polarity ofunidirectional current circuits tested; the presence or absence ofelectrical energy on metallic parts in the vicinity of electrical energysources; etc.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,022 for enclosed battery holder by inventor Huang,filed Aug. 22, 1995 and issued Jul. 16, 1996, is directed to an enclosedbattery charger including a seat, a cover, and a conductive metal platemeans. The seat is provided with a partition which has one end thereofextending upwardly to form a partition rib for preventing contact of twoconductive metal plates. A front wall of the seat is provided with aninverted-L shaped hook piece, and a rear wall of the seat is providedwith an engaging hole. The cover is provided with a rib having a ribsection projected from an inner side thereof. The rib and rib section ofthe cover enclose a rib of the seat. The cover also has a hook piecewhich is retained by the engaging hole. The cover further has a slotcorresponding to the hook piece of the front wall. A push-button switchand a metal piece are further provided to control connection ofelectricity. A post is disposed in the seat for preventing the wires andthe conductive metal plates from slipping off. In addition, an insulatedplate is passed through a slot in the cover to be disposed between thebatteries and the conductive metal plates for preventing abnormalelectricity discharge.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,367 for holster arrangement for a transportablecommunications device by inventor Abramson, filed Sep. 27, 1995 andissued Aug. 5, 1997, is directed to a holster arrangement for atransportable communications device that is worn by a user and isarranged to have a holder portion positioned on either side of theuser's torso. Straps extending from a shoulder pad are utilized tosupport the holder portion and to secure the holster arrangement to theuser. The holder portion is arranged to support a case in variedpositions with the case being mountable on the holder portion at asubstantially vertical position and at angular positions to the holderportion. Two angular mounting positions are provided to facilitate theuse of the holster arrangement when fitted to either side of the user.The case for holding the communications device is readily detached fromthe holder of the holster arrangement.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,026 for tool belt with battery assembly by inventorLueschen, filed Mar. 21, 1994 and issued Oct. 21, 1997, is directed toan apparatus comprising: a battery assembly including exactly fiveparallel rows of C cells, each row having exactly four C cells arrangedend to end in series, all of the rows being electrically connectedtogether in series, a casing which surrounds the rows, a cable having afirst end inside the casing, the first end of the cable having a firstlead electrically connected to one end of the series connection of therows, and the first end of the cable having a second lead electricallyconnected to the other end of the series connection of the rows, thecable having a second end outside the casing, and a male connectorelectrically connected to the second end of the cable; a belt adapted tobe worn around the waist of a user, the belt having an adjustable girthso as to fit users having different waist sizes; a pocket supported bythe belt and slideably movable along the girth of the belt, the pocketclosely housing the battery assembly; and a portable, hand held,electrically powered cable tie tensioning tool, the tool having a femaleconnector connected to the male connector of the battery assembly.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,259,228 for battery pack and protective pouch thereforby inventors Becker, et al., filed Feb. 11, 2000 and issued Jul. 10,2001, is directed to a protective housing for a jump-starting batterypack includes a flexible sheet of multi-layered, electrically insulatingfabric material including inner and outer nylon layers and a foampadding layer sandwiched therebetween adapted to be folded around thecase of a battery pack positioned in the middle of the sheet and heldclosed by Velcro-type closures. Retaining straps secure the battery packin place, one of the straps having stacks of secured-together foldspositioned on opposite sides of the case to provide supports on whichthe connector clamps of the battery pack jumper cables can be clamped,with the cables projecting from the open top of the housing to serve ashandles.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,380,713 for battery pack by inventor Namura, filed Apr.25, 2001 and issued Apr. 30, 2002, is directed to a battery pack holdinga first block adjacent to a second block in a case. The first and secondblocks are a plurality of circular cylindrical batteries arranged in thesame horizontal plane. The first and second blocks are each made up of Nbatteries lined up side-by-side in parallel fashion to form a lateralbattery array, and M perpendicular batteries in close proximity to anelectrode end of the lateral battery array and oriented at right anglesto the batteries of the lateral battery array. The circular cylindricalbatteries of the first and second blocks are arranged withpoint-by-point symmetry about the center of the rectangular case.Further, the electrode ends of perpendicular batteries protrude beyond aside of the lateral battery array towards the neighboring block toprovide center region space between the first and second blocks.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,197 for wearable transmission device by inventorsWilson, et al., filed Nov. 17, 2000 and issued Apr. 27, 2004, isdirected to a knitted, woven, or braided textile ribbon including fibersand having a length and selvage edges and one or more transmissionelements running the length of the ribbon in place of one or more of thefibers and integrated with the fibers to transmit data and/or poweralong the length of the ribbon.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,074,520 for contoured casing of mating clamshellportions for an electrochemical cell by inventors Probst, et al., filedNov. 4, 2005 and issued Jul. 11, 2006, is directed to an electrochemicalcell of either a primary or a secondary chemistry housed in a casinghaving opposed major side walls of a contoured shape.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,141,330 for secondary battery accommodation case byinventor Aoyama, filed Mar. 4, 2003 and issued Nov. 28, 2006, isdirected to a secondary battery accommodation case with improvedexterior surface having no parting line in two or more exterior facesout of four exterior faces encircling the battery accommodation portion.It comprises a substantially rectangular bottom case having a batteryaccommodation portion for accommodating secondary batteries and a topcase to be assembled with the bottom case for closing the batteryaccommodation portion. In the assembled condition of the top case andthe bottom case, the exterior face of the top case closing the secondarybattery accommodation portion is made equal to or lower than two or moreopen edges out of four exterior faces encircling the batteryaccommodation portion in the bottom case.

U.S. Publication No. 20090279810 for battery bag by inventor Nobles,filed May 6, 2008 and published Nov. 12, 2009, is directed to a batterybag assembly including an elongated watertight bag (WTB), a sealableaccess port (SAP), a battery tray (BT), a power feed-through (PFT), andan electric power conduit (EPC). SAP has an elongated configurationextending along an elongated length of the WTB. BT is disposed withinthe WTB so that its elongated configuration is aligned with theelongated length of the WTB. BT has electrical connector sockets (EPSs)mounted thereon for mating with oppositely sexed connectors provided onbatteries. PFT is disposed on a wall of the watertight bag. PFT isconfigured to provide a watertight seal for an electrical conductorpassing from an interior of the watertight bag to an exterior of thewatertight bag. EPC is electrically connected for coupling electricpower from the EPSs on the BT to a remote device.

U.S. Publication No. 20120045929 for PALS compliant routing system byinventors Streeter, et al., filed Aug. 23, 2011 and published Feb. 23,2012, is directed to a PALS compliant routing system including flexiblefabric cabling routed through the webbing of a PALS grid. A firstconnector or device is coupled to the cabling. Other connectors coupledto the cabling subsystem include a retention mechanism configured toretain them in the channels of the PALS webbing.

U.S. Publication No. 20130294712 for ammunition magazine pouch byinventor Seuk, filed Oct. 30, 2012 and published Nov. 7, 2013, isdirected to a hydration pouch including an elastic band that compressesthe bottom portion of the hydration bladder inside the pouch to moreevenly distribute the fluid contents of the bladder vertically withinthe pouch, thereby preventing the pooling of the fluid contents in thebottom of the bladder.

U.S. Publication No. 20140072864 for packaging material for lithium ionbattery, lithium ion battery, and method for manufacturing lithium ionbattery by inventors Suzuta, et al., filed Nov. 8, 2013 and publishedMar. 13, 2014, is directed to a packaging material for a lithium ionbattery including: a base material layer that is formed from a filmobtained by biaxially stretching a multi-layered coextruded filmincluding a first thermoplastic resin layer having rigidity and chemicalresistance and being disposed at an outer side thereof, a secondthermoplastic resin layer having a capability of propagating stress andadhesiveness, and a third thermoplastic resin layer having toughness; ametal foil layer that is laminated on one surface of the base materiallayer; an anti-corrosion-treated layer that is laminated on the metalfoil layer; an inner adhesive layer that is laminated on theanti-corrosion-treated layer; and a sealant layer that is laminated onthe inner adhesive layer.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,720,762 for load carrier systems and associatedmanufacturing methods by inventors Hilliard, et al., filed Jun. 17, 2011and issued May 13, 2014, is directed to load carrier systems andassociated manufacturing methods. In one embodiment, a load carriersystem can include a unitary piece of material. The unitary piece ofmaterial can include a body portion comprising a first face side, anopposing face side, a first peripheral edge and an opposing secondperipheral edge; and one or more straps comprising a respective extendedend, wherein the straps are an integral part of the body portion;wherein the one or more straps are folded over onto the first face sideadjacent to the first peripheral edge; and wherein at least onerespective end of the one or more straps is fastened to the opposingsecond peripheral edge.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,144,255 for system for attaching accessories to tacticalgear by inventor Perciballi, filed Feb. 1, 2013 and issued Sep. 29,2015, is directed to designs and methods for a reversible, textile-basedtactical article. In one embodiment the tactical article comprises atextile based panel perforated with an array of slots arranged invertical and horizontal, spaced apart rows. The panel may be adapted forattaching accessories to either side by lacing a strap through a row ofthe slots and through webbing loops on the accessory positioned betweenthe slots. One side of the panel may have a first appearance, and theother side a second appearance that is different from the firstappearance.

U.S. Publication No. 20150295617 for waterproof case by inventors Lai,et al., filed Apr. 13, 2015 and published Oct. 15, 2015, is directed toa protective case for an electronic device may include a housing, a casecover and a gasket positioned between the housing and the case cover.The housing may include a case member, having a plurality of housingsnap attachment structures formed therein. The case cover may likewiseinclude case cover snap attachment structures formed thereon that couplewith the housing snap fit structures. The gasket is positioned betweenplanar surfaces of the case member and case cover so that it is axiallycompressed between the case member and the case cover to provide a waterand air tight seal, with the compression of the gasket being maintainedby the connection of the housing snap attachment structures and the casecover snap attachment structures.

SUMMARY OF TIE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to portable equipment formilitary, law enforcement, aviation, personal survival, hiking, andcamping applications and, more particularly, to a camera, battery, andvest system.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a tactical systemincluding a load-bearing garment, at least one camera for capturingimages, and a pouch with one or more batteries enclosed in the pouch,wherein the at least one camera is incorporated in and/or removablyattachable to the load-bearing garment, wherein the pouch is removablyattachable to the load-bearing garment, and wherein the one or morebatteries are operable to supply power to the at least one camera.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a tactical systemincluding a load-bearing garment, at least one camera for capturingimages, at least one processor, at least one memory, image recognitionsoftware operable to identify at least one object and/or at least oneperson in the images, and a pouch with one or more batteries enclosed inthe pouch, wherein the at least one camera is incorporated in and/orremovably attachable to the load-bearing garment, wherein the pouch isremovably attachable to the load-bearing garment, wherein the one ormore batteries are operable to supply power to the at least one camera,and wherein the at least one camera and the at least one processor havereal-time or near-real-time two-way communication.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a tacticalsystem including a load-bearing garment, at least one camera forcapturing images, at least one power distribution and data hub, asmartphone or a tablet, and a pouch with one or more batteries enclosedin the pouch, wherein the at least one camera is incorporated in and/orremovably attachable to the load-bearing garment, wherein the pouch isremovably attachable to the load-bearing garment, wherein the one ormore batteries are operable to supply power to the at least one camera,wherein the one or more batteries are operable to supply power to the atleast one power distribution and data hub, and wherein the at least onepower distribution and data hub and/or the one or more batteries areoperable to supply power to the smartphone or the tablet.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art after a reading of the following description ofthe preferred embodiment when considered with the drawings, as theysupport the claimed invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of an example of thetactical system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a back perspective view of an example of the tacticalsystem according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an example of the portablebattery pack that comprises a battery enclosed by a wearable pouch orskin.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front perspective view of an example of theportable battery pack that comprises a battery enclosed by a wearablepouch or skin.

FIG. 5 illustrates a back perspective view of an example of the portablebattery pack that comprises a battery enclosed by a wearable pouch orskin.

FIG. 6 illustrates an angled perspective view of the front of thewearable pouch or skin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 7 illustrates another angled perspective view of the front of thewearable pouch or skin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 8 illustrates an angled perspective view of the back of thewearable pouch or skin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 9A illustrates another angled perspective view of anotherembodiment of the front of the wearable pouch or skin of the portablebattery pack.

FIG. 9B illustrates an angled perspective view of another embodiment ofthe back of the wearable pouch or skin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 10 shows a side perspective view of the portable battery packaffixed to a vest using zippers.

FIG. 11A illustrates a front perspective view of the wearable pouch orskin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 11B illustrates a side perspective view of the wearable pouch orskin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 11C illustrates a back perspective view of the wearable pouch orskin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 11D illustrates a perspective view of an end of the wearable pouchor skin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 11E illustrates a perspective view of another end of the wearablepouch or skin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 12 illustrates an exploded view of an example of the battery of theportable battery pack.

FIG. 13 illustrates a top perspective view of the battery of theportable battery pack when assembled.

FIG. 14 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the battery of theportable battery pack when assembled.

FIG. 15 illustrates a perspective view of the battery cover of theportable battery pack.

FIG. 16A illustrates a top perspective view of the battery cover of theportable battery pack.

FIG. 16B illustrates a cross-section view of the battery cover of theportable battery pack.

FIG. 16C illustrates another cross-section view of the battery cover ofthe portable battery pack.

FIG. 16D illustrates yet another cross-section view of the battery coverof the portable battery pack.

FIG. 17A illustrates a cross-section view of the back plate of thebattery of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 17B illustrates a view of the back plate of the battery of theportable battery pack.

FIG. 17C illustrates another view of the back plate of the battery ofthe portable battery pack.

FIG. 18 illustrates a cutaway view of a portion of the battery, whichshows more details of the flexible omnidirectional battery leads.

FIG. 19A illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of astructure that includes a material for dissipating heat.

FIG. 19B illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of anotherstructure that includes a material for dissipating heat.

FIG. 19C illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of yetanother structure that includes a material for dissipating heat.

FIG. 19D illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of yetanother structure that includes a material for dissipating heat.

FIG. 20 illustrates an exploded view of an example of a battery of aportable battery pack into which a heat dissipating material isinstalled.

FIG. 21 illustrates a block diagram of one embodiment of the controlelectronics for a state of charge (SOC) indicator incorporated into theportable battery pack.

FIG. 22A illustrates a block diagram of an example of an SOC system thatincludes a mobile application for use with a portable battery pack.

FIG. 22B illustrates a block diagram of an example of controlelectronics of the portable battery pack that is capable ofcommunicating with the SOC mobile application.

FIG. 22C illustrates a block diagram of another example of controlelectronics of the portable battery pack that is capable ofcommunicating with the SOC mobile application.

FIG. 23 illustrates a front perspective view of an example of theportable battery pack that comprises a battery enclosed by a wearablepouch or skin sized to hold the battery and additional devices orcomponents.

FIG. 24 illustrates a rear perspective view of an example of theportable battery pack that comprises a battery enclosed by a wearablepouch or skin sized to hold the battery and additional devices orcomponents.

FIG. 25 illustrates a front perspective view of another example of theportable battery pack that comprises a battery enclosed by a wearablepouch or skin sized to hold the battery and additional devices orcomponents.

FIG. 26 illustrates a rear perspective view of another example of theportable battery pack that comprises a battery enclosed by a wearablepouch or skin sized to hold the battery and additional devices orcomponents.

FIG. 27 illustrates a block diagram of one example of a powerdistribution and data hub.

FIG. 28 illustrates a block diagram of another example of a powerdistribution and data hub.

FIG. 29 illustrates an interior perspective view of an example of theportable battery pack that includes a battery and a power distributionand data hub enclosed by a wearable pouch or skin.

FIG. 30 is a detail view of the interior perspective view of the exampleof the portable battery pack shown in FIG. 29 .

FIG. 31A illustrates an interior perspective view of an example of theportable battery pack that includes an object retention system in thewearable pouch or skin.

FIG. 31B illustrates an interior perspective view of another example ofthe portable battery pack that includes an object retention system inthe wearable pouch or skin.

FIG. 32 is an exploded view of an example of a battery and a powerdistribution and data hub housed in the same enclosure.

FIG. 33 illustrates an interior perspective view of an example of theportable battery pack that includes a battery and a power distributionand data hub housed in the same enclosure.

FIG. 34 is a detail view of the interior perspective view of the exampleof the portable battery pack shown in FIG. 33 .

FIG. 35 illustrates a side perspective view of another example of aportable battery pack affixed to a vest using zippers.

FIG. 36 illustrates a front perspective view of another example of thetactical system according to the present invention.

FIG. 37 illustrates a front perspective view of yet another example ofthe tactical system according to the present invention.

FIG. 38 illustrates the personal tactical system according to thepresent invention employed in a mobile ad hoc network.

FIG. 39 illustrates a schematic diagram of an embodiment of theinvention illustrating a computer system having a network, a pluralityof computing devices, a server, and a database.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is generally directed to a personal tacticalsystem for military, law enforcement, aviation, personal survival,hiking, sports, recreation, hunting, land surveying, expedition, andcamping applications.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a tactical systemincluding a load-bearing garment, at least one camera for capturingimages, and a pouch with one or more batteries enclosed in the pouch,wherein the at least one camera is incorporated in and/or removablyattachable to the load-bearing garment, wherein the pouch is removablyattachable to the load-bearing garment, and wherein the one or morebatteries are operable to supply power to the at least one camera.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a tactical systemincluding a load-bearing garment, at least one camera for capturingimages, at least one processor, at least one memory, image recognitionsoftware operable to identify at least one object and/or at least oneperson in the images, and a pouch with one or more batteries enclosed inthe pouch, wherein the at least one camera is incorporated in and/orremovably attachable to the load-bearing garment, wherein the pouch isremovably attachable to the load-bearing garment, wherein the one ormore batteries are operable to supply power to the at least one camera,and wherein the at least one camera and the at least one processor havereal-time or near-real-time two-way communication.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a tacticalsystem including a load-bearing garment, at least one camera forcapturing images, at least one power distribution and data hub, asmartphone or a tablet, and a pouch with one or more batteries enclosedin the pouch, wherein the at least one camera is incorporated in and/orremovably attachable to the load-bearing garment, wherein the pouch isremovably attachable to the load-bearing garment, wherein the one ormore batteries are operable to supply power to the at least one camera,wherein the one or more batteries are operable to supply power to the atleast one power distribution and data hub, and wherein the at least onepower distribution and data hub and/or the one or more batteries areoperable to supply power to the smartphone or the tablet.

None of the prior art discloses a ballistic load-bearing garment, withone or more batteries and at least one camera. Furthermore, none of theprior art discloses such a system with a processor running imagerecognition software operable to identify approaching objects and alertthe user.

Referring now to the drawings in general, the illustrations are for thepurpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the inventionand are not intended to limit the invention thereto.

System

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the present invention provides a personaltactical system 10 that includes a load-bearing garment 15 (e.g., avest, body armor, a plate carrier) with at least one camera and aportable battery pack 100. The portable battery pack 100 includes apouch with one or more batteries. In a preferred embodiment, the pouchremovably attaches to the load-bearing garment 15. Alternatively, theload-bearing garment includes a pouch for housing the one or morebatteries.

The one or more batteries of the portable battery pack 100 are inelectrical connection with and supply power to the at least one cameraand/or other devices. The at least one camera includes at least oneforward-facing camera, at least one side-facing camera, at least oneupward-facing camera, and/or at least one backward-facing camera. In theexample shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the at least one camera includes aforward-facing camera 20, a side-facing camera 21, an upward-facingcamera 22, and a backward-facing camera 23. Other devices shown in FIGS.1 and 2 include a compass 51, a global positioning system (GPS) 52, andan ambient microphone 32.

Load-Bearing Garment

The load-bearing garment 15 is preferably a Modular LightweightLoad-carrying Equipment (MOLLE) system, as described inhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOLLE andhttp://www.natick.army.mil/about/pao/pubs/warrior/Ol/sepoct/packitup.htm,each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Inone embodiment, the load-bearing garment incorporates a Pouch AttachmentLadder System (PALS), which is a grid of webbing used to attach smallerequipment onto load-bearing platforms. For example, the PALS gridconsists of horizontal rows of 1-inch (2.5 cm) webbing, spaced about oneinch apart, and reattached to the load-bearing garment (e.g., vest,plate carrier, body armor) at 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) intervals. In oneembodiment, the webbing is formed of nylon (e.g., Cordura® nylonwebbing, MIL-W-43668 Type III nylon webbing). The PALS grid allows forthe attachment of various compatible pouches and accessories onto theload-bearing garment. An alternative embodiment is the All-purposeLightweight Individual Carrying Equipment (ALICE) system.

Preferably, the load-bearing garment is a ballistic vest that helpsabsorb the impact and reduces or stops penetration to the body fromfirearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from explosions. The ballisticvest is formed of hard armor and/or soft armor. The ballistic vest ispreferably formed of both hard armor and soft armor. In one embodiment,the soft armor is formed of multiple layers of ballistic fabric material(e.g., Kevlar®, Twaron®). In a preferred embodiment, the soft armor isformed of about 15 to about 30 layers of ballistic fabric. In anotherembodiment, the soft armor further includes a molded plastic layer. Thesoft armor protects the wearer from low velocity projectiles, such ashandgun rounds and mortar or grenade projectiles.

In one embodiment, the hard armor is formed of ballistic plates (notshown) that are inserted into the vest. The hard armor protects thewearer from high velocity projectiles, such as rifle rounds. In apreferred embodiment, the ballistic plates are formed of a metal (e.g.,titanium, steel, aluminum alloy), a polymer (e.g., Zylon®), and/or aceramic (e.g., boron carbide ceramic, silicon carbide ceramic). Theballistic plates are preferably molded or formed to conform to awearer's body. In one embodiment, the ballistic plates are custom formedto the wearer's body. Alternatively, the ballistic plates have astandardized sizing and curvature (e.g., small, medium, large,extra-large).

In one embodiment, the ballistic vest is formed of a plurality oflayers. Examples of a ballistic vest formed of a plurality of layers aredisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,726,459 and U.S. Publication Nos.20170299345 and 20180010890, each of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety. In one example, the plurality of layersincludes a first layer of a single layer of front covering material, asecond layer of a ballistic plate (e.g., formed of ceramic), a thirdlayer of at least one aramid layer (e.g., Kevlar®), a fourth layer of arigid backing plate (e.g., formed of an ultra-high molecular weightpolyethylene (UHMWPE), such as Spectra Shield®), and a fifth layer of asingle layer of rear covering material. The front covering materialand/or the rear covering material are preferably waterproof orwater-resistant.

Additionally, or alternatively, the ballistic vest includes a shearthickening fluid. Examples of a shear thickening fluid are disclosed inU.S. Pat. Nos. 5,854,143, 7,226,878, 7,498,276, 7,825,045, 9,238,332,9,464,782, and 9,816,788 and U.S. Publication Nos. 20040094026 and20060040576, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

In another embodiment, the ballistic vest includes a magnetorheologicalfluid. Examples of a magnetorheological fluid are disclosed in U.S. Pat.Nos. 7,332,101 and 8,646,371, each of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

In a preferred embodiment, the ballistic vest is classified as Type IIIor Type IV as defined in Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor NationalInstitute of Justice (NIJ) Standard-0101.06 (published July 2008), whichis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Alternatively, theballistic vest is classified as Type IIA, Type II, or Type IIIA.Additionally, or alternatively, the ballistic vest is buoyant.

The ballistic vest preferably protects the wearer against spike and/orblade threats. In a preferred embodiment, the ballistic vest isclassified as protection Level 2 (i.e., medium energy threats) or Level3 (i.e., high energy threats) as defined in Stab Resistance of PersonalBody Armor NIJ Standard-0115.0 (published September 2000), which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Alternatively, theballistic vest is classified as protection Level 1 (i.e., low energythreats).

Portable Battery Pack

The present invention provides a portable battery pack including abattery enclosed by, e.g., inside of, a wearable and replaceable pouchor skin or hard enclosure, wherein the pouch or skin or hard enclosurecan be provided in different colors and/or patterns. Namely, a set ofmultiple interchangeable pouches or skins can be provided with onebattery unit. This feature is particularly beneficial when it isrequired that the portable battery pack blend into differentenvironments, such as in military applications. In one example, if theportable battery pack is used in a jungle or wilderness environment, thebattery can be placed inside a camouflage pouch or skin. In anotherexample, if the portable battery pack is used in an arctic environment,the battery can be placed inside a white-colored pouch or skin. In yetanother example, if the portable battery pack is used in a desertenvironment, the battery can be placed inside a sand-colored pouch orskin. In still another example, if the portable battery pack is used forlaw enforcement, the battery is placed inside a black-colored, a navyblue-colored, a gray-colored, or an olive-colored pouch or skin.

Representative camouflages include, but are not limited to, UniversalCamouflage Pattern (UCP), also known as ACUPAT or ARPAT or Army CombatUniform; MultiCam®, also known as Operation Enduring Freedom CamouflagePattern (OCP); Universal Camouflage Pattern-Delta (UCP-Delta); AirmanBattle Uniform (ABU); Navy Working Uniform (NWU), including variants,such as, blue-grey, desert (Type II), and woodland (Type III); MARPAT,also known as Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform, including woodland,desert, and winter/snow variants; Disruptive Overwhite Snow DigitalCamouflage, Urban Digital Camouflage, and Tactical Assault Camouflage(TACAM).

Therefore, an aspect of the portable battery pack is that it provides abattery in combination with one or more wearable and replaceable pouchesor skins, wherein the one or more pouches or skins can be differentcolors and/or patterns.

Another aspect of the portable battery pack is that the battery has oneor more leads that can be flexed repeatedly in any direction withoutbreaking or failing. This means the portable battery pack is operable todeliver energy from the battery to power consuming devices located indifferent areas of the load bearing equipment. Similarly, the portablebattery pack is operable to receive energy from charging devices locatedin different areas of the load bearing equipment to the battery.

Yet another aspect of the portable battery pack is that the battery andpouch or skin are lightweight and contoured for comfortable wearing orease of fastening to other equipment, such as a backpack or body armor,while still maintaining the lowest possible profile. Advantageously,this low profile prevents the portable battery pack from interferingwith the wearer while in motion or seated.

Still another aspect of the portable battery pack is that the pouch orskin can be MOLLE-compatible. “MOLLE” means Modular LightweightLoad-carrying Equipment, which is the current generation of load-bearingequipment and backpacks utilized by a number of NATO armed forces. Theportable battery pack can also be made to affix to other equipment(e.g., chair or seat, boat or kayak, helmet) or a user's body (e.g.,back region, chest region, abdominal region, arm, leg) using straps,snaps, hook and loop tape, snaps, ties, buckles, and/or clips for otherapplications.

FIGS. 3-5 are perspective views of an example of the portable batterypack 100 that includes a battery enclosed by a wearable pouch or skin.For example, portable battery pack 100 includes a pouch 110 for holdinga battery 150. The pouch 110 is a wearable pouch or skin that can besized in any manner that substantially corresponds to a size of thebattery 150. In one example, the pouch 110 is sized to hold a battery150 that is about 9.75 inches long, about 8.6 inches wide, and about 1inch thick.

In a preferred embodiment, the pouch 110 is formed of a flexible,durable, and waterproof or at least water-resistant material. Forexample, the pouch 110 is formed of polyester, polyvinyl chloride(PVC)-coated polyester, vinyl-coated polyester, nylon, canvas,PVC-coated canvas, or polycotton canvas. In one embodiment, the pouch110 is formed of a material that is laminated to or treated with awaterproofing or water repellant material (e.g., rubber, PVC,polyurethane, silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, wax, thermoplasticelastomer). Additionally, or alternatively, the pouch 110 is treatedwith a UV coating to increase UV resistance. The exterior finish of thepouch 110 can be any color, such as white, brown, green, orange (e.g.,international orange), yellow, black, or blue, or any pattern, such ascamouflage, as provided herein, or any other camouflage in use by themilitary, law enforcement, or hunters. For example, in FIGS. 3-5 , thepouch 110 is shown to have a camouflage pattern. In one embodiment, theexterior of the pouch 110 includes a reflective tape (e.g., infraredreflective tape), fabric, or material. Advantageously, the reflectivetape, fabric, or material improves visibility of the user in low-lightconditions.

The pouch 110 has a first side 112 and a second side 114. The pouch 110also includes a pouch opening 116, which is the opening through whichthe battery 150 is fitted into the pouch 110. In the example shown inFIGS. 3-5 , the pouch opening 116 is opened and closed using a zipper,as the pouch 110 includes a zipper tab 118. Other mechanisms, however,can be used for holding the pouch opening 116 of the pouch 110 open orclosed, such as, a hook and loop system (e.g., Velcro®), buttons, snaps,hooks, ties, clips, buckles, and the like. Further, a lead opening 120(see FIG. 4 , FIG. 5 , FIG. 7 ) is provided on the end of the pouch 110that is opposite the pouch opening 116. For example, the lead opening120 can be a 0.5-inch long slit or a 0.75-inch long slit in the edge ofthe pouch 110. In one embodiment, the lead opening 120 is finished orreinforced with stitching. In another embodiment, the lead opening 120is laser cut.

The battery 150 includes at least one lead. In one example, the battery150 is a rechargeable battery with two leads 152 (e.g., a first lead 152a and a second lead 152 b) as shown in FIGS. 4-5 . Each lead 152 can beused for both the charging function and the power supply function. Inother words, the leads 152 a, 152 b are not dedicated to the chargingfunction only or the power supply function only, both leads 152 a, 152 bcan be used for either function at any time or both at the same time. Inone example, the first lead 152 a can be used for charging the battery150 while the second lead 152 b can be used simultaneously for poweringequipment, or both leads 152 can be used for powering equipment, or bothleads 152 can be used for charging the battery 150.

Each lead is preferably operable to charge and discharge at the sametime. In one example, a Y-splitter with a first connector and a secondconnector is attached to a lead. The Y-splitter allows the lead tosupply power to equipment via the first connector and charge the batteryvia the second connector at the same time. Thus, the leads are operableto allow power to flow in and out of the battery simultaneously.

In another embodiment, each lead is operable to charge or discharge, butnot operable to charge and discharge simultaneously. In one embodiment,the battery includes at least one sensor operable to determine if a leadis connected to a load or a power supply. If the at least one sensordetermines that a lead is connected to a load, the discharging functionis enabled and the charging function is disabled. If the at least onesensor determines that a lead is connected to a power supply, thecharging function is enabled and the discharging function is disabled.

In a preferred embodiment, a dust cap is used to cover a correspondinglead. Advantageously, the dust cap protects the connector from dust andother environmental contaminants that may cause battery failure in thefield. The dust cap is preferably permanently attached to thecorresponding lead. Alternatively, the dust cap is removably attachableto the corresponding lead.

The battery is operable to be charged using at least one chargingdevice. In a preferred embodiment, the at least one charging device isan alternating current (AC) adapter, a solar panel, a generator, a windturbine, a portable power case, a fuel cell, a vehicle battery, arechargeable battery, and/or a non-rechargeable battery. Examples of aportable power case are disclosed in U.S. Publication No. 20170229692and U.S. application Ser. Nos. 15/664,776 and 15/836,299, each of whichis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In one embodiment,the battery is connected to the at least one charging device through adirect current-direct current (DC-DC) converter cable.

In another embodiment, the battery is operable to be charged viainductive charging. In one embodiment, the battery is operable to becharged using an inductive charging mat. In an alternative embodiment,the battery is operable to be charged using an inductive puck worn in apocket, on the back of a helmet, or in a rucksack. In one embodiment,the inductive puck is powered using a DC power source. Advantageously,this reduces the number of cables required for a user, which preventsusers from accidentally disconnecting cables (e.g., when getting in andout of spaces like vehicles). Additionally, this allows a user to useproximity charging, which allows the user to focus on the task at handinstead of spending a few seconds connecting the battery to a chargingdevice, which may be located behind the user in a rucksack. Further,this embodiment eliminates the possibility of reverse polarity andarcing between connectors caused by the electrical potential. Theinductive puck is operable to charge additional power consuming devicescarried by a user (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet).

In one embodiment, the battery is operable to be charged by harvestingambient radiofrequency (RF) waves. Alternatively, the battery isoperable to be charged by capturing exothermic body reactions (e.g.,heat, sweat). In one embodiment, the battery is operable to be chargedusing thermoelectric generators, which use temperature differencesbetween the body and the external environment to generate energy. Inanother embodiment, the battery is operable to be charged using sweat(e.g., using lactate). In an alternative embodiment, the battery isoperable to be charged using friction (e.g., triboelectric effect) orkinetic energy. In yet another example, the battery is operable to becharged by a pedal power generator. In one embodiment, the battery isconnected to the pedal power generator through a direct current-directcurrent (DC-DC) converter cable.

The battery is also operable to be charged using energy generated fromrunning water and wind energy. In one embodiment, the wind energy isgenerated using an unmanned aerial system or drone on a tether. In analternative embodiment, the wind energy is generated using a drive alongturbine. In yet another embodiment, the wind energy is generated using astatically mounted turbine (e.g., ground mounted, tower mounted).

With respect to using the battery 150 with pouch 110, first the userunzips the pouch opening 116, then the user inserts one end of thebattery 150 that has, for example, the second lead 152 b through thepouch opening 116 and into the compartment inside the pouch 110. At thesame time, the user guides the end of the second lead 152 b through thelead opening 120, which allows the housing of the battery 150 to fitentirely inside of the pouch 110, as shown in FIG. 3 . The first lead152 a is left protruding out of the unzipped portion of the pouchopening 116. Then the user zips the pouch opening 116 closed, leavingthe zipper tab 118 snugged up against the first lead 152 a, as shown inFIG. 4 and FIG. 5 . FIG. 4 shows the portable battery pack 100 with thefirst side 112 of the pouch 110 up, whereas FIG. 5 shows the portablebattery pack 100 with the second side 114 of the pouch 110 up.

As previously described, the battery has at least one lead. In oneembodiment, the pouch has an opening for each corresponding lead. In oneexample, the battery has four leads and the pouch has four openingscorresponding to the four leads. Alternatively, the pouch utilizes thezippered pouch opening to secure one lead and has an opening for eachremaining lead. In one example, the battery has four leads and the pouchhas three openings for three of the four leads. The remaining lead issecured by the zipper.

In another embodiment, the pouch has a seal around an opening for acorresponding lead. The seal is tight around the lead, which preventswater from entering the pouch through the opening. In one embodiment,the seal is formed of a rubber (e.g., neoprene).

In a preferred embodiment, the pouch of the portable battery pack isMOLLE-compatible. In one embodiment, the pouch incorporates a pouchattachment ladder system (PALS), which is a grid of webbing used toattach smaller equipment onto load-bearing platforms, such as vests andbackpacks. For example, the PALS grid consists of horizontal rows of1-inch (2.5 cm) webbing, spaced about one inch apart, and reattached tothe backing at 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) intervals. In one embodiment, thewebbing is formed of nylon (e.g., cordura nylon webbing, MIL-W-43668Type III nylon webbing). Accordingly, a set of straps 122 (e.g., fourstraps 122) are provided on one edge of the pouch 110 as shown in FIGS.4-5 . Further, rows of webbing 124 (e.g., four rows 124) are provided onthe first side 112 of the pouch 110, as shown in FIG. 4 . Additionally,rows of slots or slits 126 (e.g., seven rows of slots or slits 126) areprovided on the second side 114 of the pouch 110, as shown in FIG. 5 .In a preferred embodiment, the set of straps 122, the rows of webbing124, and the rows of slots or slits 126 replicate and duplicate theMOLLE underneath the portable battery pack on the load bearingequipment. Advantageously, this allows for minimal disruption to theuser because the user can place additional gear pouches or gear (e.g.,water bottle, antenna pouch) on the MOLLE of the portable battery packin an equivalent location.

In other embodiments, the portable battery pack is made to affix toother equipment (e.g., chair or seat, boat or kayak, helmet) or a user'sbody (e.g., back region, chest region, abdominal region, arm, leg) usingstraps, snaps, hook and loop tape, snaps, buckles, ties, and/or clips.In one example, the portable battery pack is made to affix to a seat ofa kayak using at least one strap and at least one side-release buckle.In another example, the portable battery pack is made to affix to auser's body using two shoulder straps. In yet another example, theportable battery pack includes two shoulder straps, a chest strap, and aside-release buckle for the chest strap.

FIGS. 6-8 are perspective views of an example of the pouch 110 of theportable battery pack 100. FIG. 6 shows details of the first side 112 ofthe pouch 110 and of the edge of the pouch 110 that includes the pouchopening 116. FIG. 6 shows the pouch opening 116 in the zipper closedstate. Again, four rows of webbing 124 are provided on the first side112 of the pouch 110. FIG. 7 also shows details of the first side 112 ofthe pouch 110 and shows the edge of the pouch 110 that includes the leadopening 120. FIG. 8 shows details of the second side 114 of the pouch110 and shows the edge of the pouch 110 that includes the pouch opening116. FIG. 8 shows the pouch opening 116 in the zipped closed state.Again, seven rows of slots or slits 126 are provided on the second side114 of the pouch 110.

In another embodiment, the portable battery pack is made to affix to aplate carrier, body armor, or a vest with at least one single width ofzipper tape sewn on the front panel or the back panel (e.g., JPC 2.0™ byCrye Precision) as shown in FIGS. 9A-9B. FIG. 9A shows details of thefirst side 112 of the pouch 110 including a single width of zipper tape190 a and a zipper slider 192 a. The single width of zipper tape 190 amates with a corresponding single width of zipper tape on the platecarrier, the body armor, or the vest. FIG. 9B shows details of thesecond side 114 of the pouch 110 including a single width of zipper tape190 b and a zipper slider 192 b. The single width of zipper tape 190 bmates with a corresponding single width of zipper tape on the platecarrier, the body armor, or the vest.

FIG. 10 shows a side perspective view of the portable battery pack 100affixed to a vest 600 using zippers. A first single width of zipper tape190 a is shown mated with a corresponding first single width of zippertape 194 a on a right side of the vest 600 using a first zipper slider192 a, thereby attaching the portable battery pack 100 to the vest 600.Similarly, a second single width of zipper tape (not shown) is matedwith a second corresponding single width of zipper tape (not shown) on aleft side of the vest 600 using a second zipper slider (not shown).Advantageously, this allows cables to extend out of the pouch through anopening in the second side of the pouch because the rows of slots orslits are not required to the secure the pouch to the vest.

FIGS. 11A-11E illustrate various other views of the pouch 110 of theportable battery pack 100. FIG. 11A shows a view (i.e., “PLAN-A”) of thefirst side 112 of the pouch 110. FIG. 11B shows a side view of the pouch110. FIG. 11C shows a view (i.e., “PLAN-B”) of the second side 114 ofthe pouch 110. FIG. 11D shows an end view (i.e., “END-A”) of thenon-strap end of the pouch 110. FIG. 11E shows an end view (i.e.,“END-B”) of the strap 122-end of the pouch 110.

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of an example of the battery 150 of theportable battery pack 100. The battery 150 includes a battery element164 that is housed between a battery cover 154 and a back plate 162. Thebattery element 164 supplies the first lead 152 a and the second lead152 b. The battery element 164 is formed of a plurality of sealedbattery cells or individually contained battery cells, i.e. batterieswith their own cases, removably disposed therein. In a preferredembodiment, the battery cells are electrochemical battery cells, andmore preferably, include lithium ion rechargeable batteries. In oneembodiment, the battery cells are lithium metal or lithium ferrousphosphate cells. In an alternative embodiment, the battery cells areall-solid-state cells (e.g., using glass electrolytes and alkaline metalanodes), such as those disclosed in U.S. Publication Nos. 20160368777and 20160365602, each of which is incorporated by reference in itsentirety. In another embodiment, the battery is formed using at leastone metal-organic framework. In one embodiment, the battery cells are18350, 14430, 14500, 18500, 16650, 18650, 21700, or 26650 cylindricalcells. The plurality of battery cells may be constructed and configuredin parallel, series, or a combination. The plurality of battery cellsmay be in one group or more than one group. Advantageously, subdividingthe plurality of battery cells into more than one group allows a largerquantity of lithium ion batteries to arrive by air that otherwise couldnot be transported due to regulations. In one example, the output of thebattery element 164 can be from about 5 volts DC to about 90 volts DC atfrom about 0.25 amps to about 10 amps.

The plurality of battery cells is preferably connected to the leads viaa battery management system. The battery management system protects thebattery from operating outside of a safe operating area by including atleast one safety cutoff. The at least one safety cutoff relates tovoltage, temperature, state of charge, state of health, and/or current.In another embodiment, the battery management system calculates a chargecurrent limit, a discharge current limit, an energy delivered since lastcharge, a charge delivered, a charge stored, a total energy deliveredsince first use, a total operating time since first use, and/or a totalnumber of cycles.

In one embodiment, the plurality of battery cells is removably disposedwithin the battery cover and the back plate. For example, the pluralityof battery cells can be replaced if they no longer hold a sufficientcharge. In one embodiment, the plurality of battery cells is removablydisposed within the battery cover and the back plate as a batterycartridge. In a preferred embodiment, the battery cartridge slides intoan opening in the battery cover or the back plate through a batteryaccess panel. In one embodiment, the battery cartridge is aspring-loaded cartridge. Additionally, or alternatively, the batterycartridge has flat contacts and pins. The battery cartridge preferablyhas features that allow the battery cartridge to matingly fit withfeatures in the opening. In another embodiment, the plurality of batterycells is removably disposed within the battery cover and the back plateusing a battery holder or a snap connector. In one embodiment, thebattery holder or the snap connector is electrically connected to thebattery management system via a mating connector (e.g., a rectangularconnector), such as those available from Molex® or Powerpole® byAnderson Power.

The battery access panel is preferably accessed within the battery coveror the back plate via a door on hinges, which allows the door to stayanchored to the device. Alternatively, the door is secured to thebattery cover or the back plate by screws. The battery access panelpreferably contains a gasket that provides a water tight seal when thedoor is secured to the battery cover or the back plate.

Alternatively, the plurality of battery cells is sealed within thebattery cover and the back plate. In one embodiment, the plurality ofbattery cells is sealed using an adhesive and/or at least one mechanicalfastener (e.g., screws, rivets, pins). In another embodiment, theplurality of battery cells is sealed within the battery cover and theback plate via bonding (e.g., solvent bonding, fusion bonding) and/orwelding (e.g., vibration welding, ultrasonic welding).

The battery cover 154 includes a compartment 156 that is sized toreceive at least one battery element 164. In a preferred embodiment, thecompartment 156 is substantially rectangular in shape with a top hatstyle rim 158 provided around the perimeter of the compartment 156. Thebattery cover 154 incudes at least one channel formed in the batterycover 154 to accommodate a wire of a corresponding lead. The example inFIG. 12 shows two channels 160 (e.g., channels 160 a, 160 b) formed inthe battery cover 154 (one on each side) to accommodate the wires of thefirst lead 152 a and the second lead 152 b passing therethrough. Moredetails of the leads 152 and the battery cover 154 are shown anddescribed herein below with reference to FIG. 18 .

The battery cover 154 and the back plate 162 is formed of plastic using,for example, a thermoform process or an injection molding. The backplate 162 can be mechanically attached to the rim 158 of the batterycover 154 via, for example, an ultrasonic spot welding process or anadhesive. Advantageously, the top hat style rim 158 provides a footprintfor the ultrasonic spot welding process and provides structuralintegrity for the battery. In one embodiment, a water barrier material(e.g., silicone) is applied to the mating surfaces of the rim 158 andthe back plate 162. In another embodiment, the battery cover 154, theback plate 162, and/or the battery element 164 has a slight curvature orcontour for conforming to, for example, the user's vest, backpack, orbody armor. In one example, the curvature of the portable battery packis engineered to match the outward curve of body armor. Advantageously,this means that the portable battery pack does not jostle as theoperator moves, which results in less caloric energy expenditure whenthe operator moves. Alternatively, the battery cover 154, the back plate162, and/or the battery element 164 can have a slight outward curvatureor contour for conforming to a user's body (e.g., back region, chestregion, abdominal region, arm, leg). In yet another embodiment, thebattery cover 154, the back plate 162, and/or the battery element 164can have a slight outward curvature or contour for conforming to auser's helmet or hat. More details of the battery cover 154 are shownand described herein below with reference to FIG. 15 and FIGS. 16A-16D.More details of the back plate 162 are shown and described herein belowwith reference to FIGS. 17A-17C.

As previously described, the housing of the at least one batteryincludes a battery cover and a back plate. In one embodiment, thebattery includes more than one battery element encased in the housing.The output voltages of the more than one battery element may be the sameor different. In one example, a first battery element has an outputvoltage of 16.8V and a second battery element has an output voltage of16.8V. In another example, a first battery element has an output voltageof 16.8V and a second battery element has an output voltage of 5V.Advantageously, including more than one battery element encased in thehousing allows a larger quantity of lithium ion batteries to arrive byair that otherwise could not be transported due to regulations.

FIGS. 13-14 are perspective views of the battery 150 of the portablebattery pack 100 when fully assembled. FIG. 13 shows a view of thebattery cover 154-side of the battery 150, while FIG. 14 shows a view ofthe back plate 162-side of the battery 150.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the side of the battery cover 154 thatfaces the battery element 164. FIGS. 16A-16D show various other views ofthe battery cover 154 of the battery 150 of the portable battery pack100, including example dimensions of the battery cover 154. FIG. 16Aillustrates a top perspective view of the battery cover of the portablebattery pack. FIG. 16B illustrates a cross-section view of the batterycover of the portable battery pack. FIG. 16C illustrates anothercross-section view of the battery cover of the portable battery pack.FIG. 16D illustrates yet another cross-section view of the battery coverof the portable battery pack.

FIGS. 17A-17C illustrate various views of the back plate 162 of thebattery 150 and show the contour and example dimensions of the backplate 162. FIG. 17A illustrates a cross-section view of the back plateof the battery of the portable battery pack. FIG. 17B illustrates a viewof the back plate of the battery of the portable battery pack. FIG. 17Cillustrates another view of the back plate of the battery of theportable battery pack. In one example, the back plate 162 is about 9.75inches long, about 8.6 inches wide, and about 0.4 inches thick.

FIG. 18 is a cutaway view of a portion of the battery 150, which showsmore details of the flexible omnidirectional battery leads 152. Eachlead 152 has a connector portion 170 and a wiring portion 172. Thewiring portion 172 is electrically connected to the battery element 164.In one embodiment, the wiring portion 172 is formed of a saltwaterresistant cable. The connector portion 170 can be any type or style ofconnector needed to mate to the equipment to be used with the battery150 of the portable battery pack 100. In a preferred embodiment, theconnector portion 170 is a female circular type of connector (e.g.,Tajimi™ part number R04-P5f). In an alternative embodiment, at least oneconnector portion 170 is a male universal serial bus (USB), micro USB,lightning, and/or Firewire connector. In yet another embodiment, theconnector portion 170 has an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP2X,IP3X, IP4X, IP5X, IP6X, IPX1, IPX2, IPX3, IPX4, IPX5, IPX6, IPX7, orIPX8. More preferably, the connector portion 170 has an IP rating ofIPX6, IPX7, or IPX8. IP ratings are described in IEC standard 60529, ed.2.2 (05/2015), published by the International ElectrotechnicalCommission, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.In one embodiment, the connector portion meets standards described inDepartment of Defense documents MIL-STD-202E, MIL-STD-202F publishedFebruary 1998, MIL-STD-202G published 18 Jul. 2003, and/or MIL-STD-202Hpublished 18 Apr. 2015, each of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

The wiring portion 172 is fitted into a channel 160 formed in thebattery cover 154 such that the connector portion 170 extends away fromthe battery cover 154. A spring 174 is provided around the wiringportion 172, such that a portion of the spring 174 is inside the batterycover 154 and a portion of the spring 174 is outside the battery cover154. In one example, the spring 174 is a steel spring that is from about0.25 inches to about 1.5 inches long. The wiring portion 172 of the lead152 and the spring 174 are held securely in the channel 160 of thebattery cover 154 via a clamping mechanism 176. Alternatively, thewiring portion of the lead and the spring are held securely in thechannel of the battery cover using an adhesive, a retention pin, a hexnut, a hook anchor, and/or a zip tie.

The presence of the spring 174 around the wiring portion 172 of the lead152 allows the lead 152 to be flexed in any direction for convenientconnection to equipment from any angle. The presence of the spring 174around the wiring portion 172 of the lead 152 also allows the lead 152to be flexed repeatedly without breaking or failing. The design of theleads 152 provides benefit over conventional leads and/or connectors ofportable battery packs that are rigid, wherein conventional rigid leadsallow connection from one angle only and are prone to breakage ifbumped.

In one embodiment, a layer of heat shrink tubing is placed around thewiring portion before the spring is placed around the wiring portion.The heat shrink tubing is preferably flexible. Advantageously, the heatshrink tubing provides additional waterproofing for the battery.

In one embodiment, the battery includes at least one step up voltageconverter and/or at least one step down voltage converter. In oneexample, the battery includes a step up voltage converter from 16.8V to29.4V. In another example, the battery includes a step down voltageconverter from 16.8V to 5V. Advantageously, this allows the portablebattery pack to power devices (e.g., smartphones) with a chargingvoltage of 5V. This also reduces the bulk outside the portable batterypack because the step down voltage converter is housed within thebattery element and a separate external voltage converter is notrequired.

In one embodiment, the wearable pouch includes a material fordissipating heat. Additionally, or alternatively, the battery of thewearable battery pack includes at least one layer of a material fordissipating heat. Examples of a material for dissipating heat aredisclosed in U.S. Publication Nos. 20170229692 and 20160112004 and U.S.application Ser. No. 15/664,776, each of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIGS. 19A-19D are cross-sectional views of examples of structures thatinclude a material for dissipating heat from electronic devices and/orclothing. The heat-dissipating material can be used in combination with,for example, one or two substrates. For example, FIG. 19A shows astructure 1500 that includes a heat-dissipating layer 1520. Theheat-dissipating layer 1520 can be sandwiched between a first substrate1525 and a second substrate 1530.

The heat-dissipating layer 1520 can be any material that is suitable fordissipating heat from electronic devices and/or clothing. Theheat-dissipating layer 1520 can be from about m thick to about 350 mthick in one example. In particular embodiments, the heat-dissipatinglayer 1520 can have a thickness ranging from about 1 mil to about 6 mil,including, but not limited to, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 mil, or about 25 mto about 150 m, including, but not limited to, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, and150 μm. Examples of the heat-dissipating layer 1520 include anti-static,anti-radio frequency (RF), and/or anti-electromagnetic interference(EMI) materials, such as copper shielding plastic or copper particlesbonded in a polymer matrix, as well as anti-tarnish and anti-corrosionmaterials. A specific example of the heat-dissipating layer 1520 is theanti-corrosive material used in Corrosion Intercept Pouches, catalognumber 034-2024-10, available from University Products Inc. (Holyoke,Mass.). The anti-corrosive material is described in U.S. Pat. No.4,944,916 to Franey, which is incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety. Such materials can be formed of copper shielded or copperimpregnated polymers including, but not limited to, polyethylene,low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, andpolystyrene. In another embodiment, the heat shielding or blockingand/or heat-dissipating layer is a polymer with aluminum and/or copperparticles incorporated therein. In particular, the surface area of thepolymer with aluminum and/or copper particles incorporated thereinpreferably includes a large percent by area of copper and/or aluminum.By way of example and not limitation, the surface area of theheat-dissipating layer includes about 25% by area copper and/oraluminum, 50% by area copper and/or aluminum, 75% by area copper and/oraluminum, or 90% by area copper and/or aluminum. In one embodiment, theheat shielding or blocking and/or heat-dissipating layer issubstantially smooth and not bumpy. In another embodiment, the heatshielding or blocking and/or heat-dissipating layer is not flat butincludes folds and/or bumps to increase the surface area of the layer.Alternatively, the heat-shielding or blocking and/or heat-dissipatinglayer 1520 includes a fabric having at least one metal incorporatedtherein or thereon. The fabric further includes a synthetic component,such as by way of example and not limitation, a nylon, a polyester, oran acetate component. Preferably, the at least one metal is selectedfrom the group consisting of copper, nickel, aluminum, gold, silver,tin, zinc, and tungsten.

The first substrate 1525 and the second substrate 1530 can be anyflexible or rigid substrate material. An example of a flexible substrateis any type of fabric. Examples of rigid substrates include, but are notlimited to, glass, plastic, and metal. A rigid substrate may be, forexample, the housing of any device. In one example, both the firstsubstrate 1525 and the second substrate 1530 are flexible substrates. Inanother example, both the first substrate 1525 and the second substrate1530 are rigid substrates. In yet another example, the first substrate1525 is a flexible substrate and the second substrate 1530 is a rigidsubstrate. In still another example, the first substrate 1525 is a rigidsubstrate and the second substrate 1530 is a flexible substrate.Further, the first substrate 1525 and the second substrate 1530 can besingle-layer or multi-layer structures.

In structure 1500 of FIG. 19A, the heat-shielding or blocking and/orheat-dissipating layer 1520, the first substrate 1525, and the secondsubstrate 1530 are bonded or otherwise attached together, by way ofexample and not limitation, by adhesive, laminating, stitching, orhook-and-loop fastener system. In another example and referring now toFIG. 19B, in a structure 1505, the first substrate 1525 is bonded to oneside of the heat shielding or blocking and/or heat-dissipating layer1520, whereas the second substrate 1530 is not bonded or otherwiseattached to the other side of the heat shielding or blocking and/orheat-dissipating layer 1520. In yet another example and referring now toFIG. 19C, in a structure 1510, the first substrate 1525 is providedloosely against one side of the heat shielding or blocking and/orheat-dissipating layer 1520 and the second substrate 1530 is providedloosely against the other side of the heat-dissipating layer 1520. Thefirst substrate 1525 and the second substrate 1530 are not bonded orotherwise attached to the heat shielding or blocking and/orheat-dissipating layer 1520. In still another example and referring nowto FIG. 19D, in a structure 1515, the heat shielding or blocking and/orheat-dissipating layer 1520 is provided in combination with the firstsubstrate 1525 only, either bonded or loosely arranged. In FIG. 19D, ifthe two layers are loosely arranged, the heat-dissipating layer 1520 isnot bonded or otherwise attached to the first substrate 1525. Thematerial for dissipating heat is not limited to the structures 1500,1505, 1510, 1515. These structures are exemplary only.

In one embodiment, the pouch includes at least one layer of a materialto dissipate heat on the first side and/or the second side. In oneembodiment, the first substrate is an interior layer of the pouch andthe second substrate is an exterior layer of the pouch. In analternative embodiment, a structure (e.g., the structure 1515 of FIG.19D) is formed separately and then inserted into the pouch.Advantageously, this provides for retrofitting the pouch with heatprotection from the heat-shielding or blocking and/or heat-dissipatingmaterial layer or coating.

In a preferred embodiment, the battery includes at least one layer of amaterial to dissipate heat. FIG. 20 illustrates an exploded view of anexample of a battery 150 of the portable battery pack 100 into which theheat dissipating material is installed. The battery 150 includes abattery element 164 that is housed between a battery cover 154 and aback plate 162. A first heat-dissipating layer 180 is between thebattery cover 154 and the battery element 164. The firstheat-dissipating layer 180 protects the battery from external heatsources (e.g., a hot vehicle). A second heat-dissipating layer 182 isbetween the battery element 164 and the back plate 162. The secondheat-dissipating layer 182 protects the user from heat given off by thebattery element 164. In another embodiment, the battery 150 includesonly the first heat-dissipating layer 180. In yet another embodiment,the battery 150 includes only the second heat-dissipating layer 182.

In another embodiment, the pouch includes at least one layer of amaterial to provide resistance to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/orother projectiles. In one embodiment, the at least one layer of amaterial to provide resistance to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/orother projectiles is formed from an aramid (e.g., Kevlar®, Twaron®), anultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE) (e.g., Spectra®,Dyneema®), a polycarbonate (e.g., Lexan®), a carbon fiber compositematerial, ceramic, steel, boron nitride, a boron nitride compositematerial, and/or a metal (e.g., titanium). In one embodiment, the pouchis sized to fit the battery and the at least one layer of a material toprovide resistance to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/or otherprojectiles. In another embodiment, the at least one layer of a materialto provide resistance to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/or otherprojectiles is incorporated into the pouch itself. In yet anotherembodiment, the at least one layer of a material to provide resistanceto bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/or other projectiles is housed in abuilt-in pocket inside of the pouch or permanently affixed (e.g.,laminated, stitched, adhered) to the pouch.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one layer of a material toprovide resistance to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/or otherprojectiles is on the first side (i.e., the exterior facing side) of thepouch. Advantageously, this layer protects the battery as well as theuser. In one embodiment, the at least one layer of a material to provideresistance to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/or other projectiles has aslight curvature or contour for conforming to the battery cover.Additionally, or alternatively, the at least one layer of a material toprovide resistance to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/or otherprojectiles is on the second side (i.e., the user facing side) of thepouch. In one embodiment, the at least one layer of a material toprovide resistance to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/or otherprojectiles has a slight curvature or contour for conforming to the backplate. Advantageously, this layer provides additional protection to theuser.

In another embodiment, the battery includes a material to provideresistance to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/or other projectiles. Inone embodiment, the material to provide resistance to bullets, knives,shrapnel, and/or other projectiles is incorporated into the batterycover and/or back plate. In an alternative embodiment, the material toprovide resistance to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/or otherprojectiles is between the battery cover and the battery element.Advantageously, this layer protects the plurality of battery cellshoused in the battery as well as the user. Additionally, oralternatively, the material to provide resistance to bullets, knives,shrapnel, and/or other projectiles is between the battery element andthe back plate. Advantageously, this layer provides additionalprotection to the user.

As previously described, the pouch is preferably formed of a flexible,durable, and waterproof and/or water-resistant material. In oneembodiment, seams of the pouch are sewn with an anti-wick or non-wickingthread. In one example, the anti-wick or non-wicking polyester thread isa bonded polyester thread with wax coating (e.g., Dabond®). The waxcoating on the thread plugs stitch holes to waterproof seams.Alternatively, seams are joined together using ultrasonic welding.

In one embodiment, the pouch includes drainage holes to remove waterfrom the pouch. The drainage holes are formed of a mesh fabric.Alternatively, the drainage holes are formed using holes with grommetsin the waterproof and/or water-resistant material.

In another embodiment, the pouch incudes at least one desiccant toremove moisture from the pouch. In one embodiment, the at least onedesiccant includes silica. Alternatively, the at least one desiccantincludes activated charcoal, calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, and/ormolecular sieves (e.g., zeolites).

The portable battery pack includes leads having a connector portion. Aspreviously described, the connector portion can be any type or style ofconnector needed to mate to equipment to be used with the battery of theportable battery pack. In one embodiment, a cord connector is used toprotect a mated connection between the connector portion and theequipment. Examples of a cord connector include U.S. Pat. Nos.5,336,106, 5,505,634, and 5,772,462, each of which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety. Alternatively, a piece of heatshrink tubing is positioned to cover a mated connection between theconnector portion and the equipment. In a preferred embodiment, the heatshrink tubing is sized to cover at least 0.25 inch of cabling on eitherside of the mated connection. Heat is then applied using a heat gun orhair dryer to shrink the tubing and seal the mated connection.

In one embodiment, the portable battery pack includes at least oneprocessor. The at least one processor is preferably housed in thebattery. In another embodiment, the at least one processor isincorporated into control electronics used to determine the state ofcharge (SOC) of the portable battery pack. Examples of state of chargeindicators are disclosed in U.S. Publication Nos. 20170269162 and20150198670, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

FIG. 21 illustrates a block diagram of one embodiment of the controlelectronics for a state of charge indicator incorporated into theportable battery pack. In this example, the control electronics 2430includes a voltage sensing circuit 2432, an analog-to-digital converter(ADC) 2434, a processor 2436, the indicator 2440, and optionally adriver 2442.

The voltage sensing circuit 2432 can be any standard voltage sensingcircuit, such as those found in volt meters. An input voltage VIN issupplied via the power BUS. In one embodiment, the voltage sensingcircuit 2432 is designed to sense any direct current (DC) voltage in therange of from about 0 volts DC to about 50 volts DC. In one embodiment,the voltage sensing circuit 2432 includes standard amplification orde-amplification functions for generating an analog voltage thatcorrelates to the amplitude of the input voltage VIN that is present.The ADC 2434 receives the analog voltage from the voltage sensingcircuit 2432 and performs a standard analog-to-digital conversion.

The processor 2436 manages the overall operations of the SOC indicator.The processor 2436 is any controller, microcontroller, or microprocessorthat is capable of processing program instructions.

The indicator 2440 is any visual, audible, or tactile mechanism forindicating the state of charge of the portable battery pack. A preferredembodiment of a visual indicator is at least one 5-bar liquid crystaldisplay (LCD), wherein five bars flashing or five bars indicatesgreatest charge and one bar or one bar flashing indicates least charge.Another example of a visual indicator is at least one seven-segmentnumeric LCD, wherein the number 5 flashing or the number 5 indicatesgreatest charge and the number 1 or the number 1 flashing indicatesleast charge. Alternatively, the at least one LCD displays the voltageof the portable battery pack as measured by the control electronics.

The at least one LCD is preferably covered with a transparent material.In a preferred embodiment, the cover is formed of a clear plastic (e.g.,poly(methyl methacrylate)). This provides an extra layer of protectionfor the at least one LCD, much like a screen protector provides an extralayer of protection for a smartphone. This increases the durability ofthe at least one LCD. In one embodiment, the at least one LCD is on thehousing of the battery. In a preferred embodiment, the housing of thebattery includes a waterproof sealant (e.g., silicone) around the cover.

Alternatively, a visual indicator is at least one LED. One preferredembodiment of a visual indicator is a set of light-emitting diodes(LEDs) (e.g., 5 LEDs), wherein five lit LEDs flashing or five lit LEDsindicates greatest charge and one lit LED or one lit LED flashingindicates least charge. In one embodiment, the LEDs are red, yellow,and/or green. In one example, two of the LEDs are green to indicate amostly full charge on the portable battery pack, two of the LEDs areyellow to indicate that charging will soon be required for the portablebattery pack, and one LED is red to indicate that the portable batterypack is almost drained. In a preferred embodiment, at least three bars,lights, or numbers are used to indicate the state of charge.

In one embodiment, the at least one LED is preferably covered with atransparent material. In a preferred embodiment, the cover is formed ofa clear plastic (e.g., poly(methyl methacrylate)). This provides anextra layer of protection for the at least one LED and increases thedurability of the at least one LED. Alternatively, the at least one LEDis on the housing of the battery. In a preferred embodiment, the housingof the battery includes a waterproof sealant (e.g., silicone) around thecover.

One example of an audible indicator is any sounds via an audio speakeror a headset, such as beeping sounds, wherein five beeps indicatesgreatest charge and one beep indicates least charge. Another example ofan audible indicator is vibration sounds via any vibration mechanism(e.g., vibration motor used in mobile phones), wherein five vibrationsounds indicates greatest charge and one vibration sound indicates leastcharge.

One example of a tactile indicator is any vibration mechanism (e.g.,vibration motor used in mobile phones), wherein five vibrations indicategreatest charge and one vibration indicate least charge. Another exampleof a tactile indicator is a set of pins that rise up and down to be feltin Braille-like fashion, wherein five raised pins indicates greatestcharge and one raised pin indicates least charge.

In one example, the processor 2436 is able to drive indicator 2440directly. In one embodiment, the processor 2436 is able to drivedirectly a 5-bar LCD or a seven-segment numeric LCD. In another example,however, the processor 2436 is not able to drive indicator 2440directly. In this case, the driver 2442 is provided, wherein the driver2442 is specific to the type of indicator 2440 used in the controlelectronics 2430.

Additionally, the processor 2436 includes internal programmablefunctions for programming the expected range of the input voltage VINand the correlation of the value the input voltage VIN to what isindicated at the indicator 2440. In other words, the discharge curve ofthe one or more batteries of the portable battery pack is correlated towhat is indicated at indicator 2440. In one embodiment, the processor2436 is programmed based on a percent discharged or on an absolute valuepresent at the input voltage VIN. In one embodiment, the processor isprogrammed with the purpose of intentionally giving a lower state ofcharge than actually available. In this embodiment, the battery willlast longer because it will not reach a completely discharged state asfrequently. Advantageously, this embodiment encourages the user torecharge the battery before it runs down. Further, this embodimentextends the overall life of the battery and increases performance of thebattery.

In another embodiment, the processor is programmed to not take a voltagereading when the load is a maximum load. In one example, the battery ispowering a radio, and the processor is programmed to not take a voltagereading when the radio is transmitting or receiving. Alternatively, theprocessor is programmed to take a voltage reading when the load isminimized.

In one embodiment, the control electronics includes at least oneantenna, which allows the portable battery pack to send information(e.g., state of charge information) to at least one remote device (e.g.,smartphone, tablet, laptop computer, satellite phone) and/or receiveinformation (e.g., software updates, activation of kill switch) from atleast one remote device. The at least one antenna provides wirelesscommunication, standards-based or non-standards-based, by way of exampleand not limitation, radiofrequency (RF), BLUETOOTH, ZIGBEE, NEAR FIELDCOMMUNICATION (NFC), or similar commercially used standards.

FIG. 22A illustrates a block diagram of an example of an SOC system 2500that includes a mobile application for use with a portable battery pack.The SOC system 2500 includes a battery 150 having a communicationsinterface 2510.

The communications interface 2510 is any wired and/or wirelesscommunication interface for connecting to a network and by whichinformation is exchanged with other devices connected to the network.Examples of wired communication interfaces include, but are not limitedto, System Management Bus (SMBus), USB ports, RS232 connectors, RJ45connectors, Ethernet, and any combinations thereof. Examples of wirelesscommunication interfaces include, but are not limited to, an Intranetconnection, Internet, ISM, BLUETOOTH technology, WI-FI, WI-MAX, IEEE802.11 technology, radio frequency (RF), NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION (NFC),ZIGBEE, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) compatible protocols, LocalArea Networks (LAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN), Shared Wireless AccessProtocol (SWAP), any combinations thereof, and other types of wirelessnetworking protocols.

The communications interface 2510 is used to communicate, preferablywirelessly, with at least one remote device, such as but not limited to,a mobile phone 2130 or a tablet 2132. The mobile phone 2130 is anymobile phone that (1) is capable of running mobile applications and (2)is capable of communicating with the portable battery pack. The mobilephone 2130 can be, for example, an Android™ phone, an Apple® iPhone®, ora Samsung® Galaxy® phone. Likewise, the tablet 2132 is any tablet that(1) is capable of running mobile applications and (2) is capable ofcommunicating with the portable battery pack. The tablet 2132 can be,for example, the 3G or 4G version of the Apple® iPad®.

Further, in the SOC system 2500, the mobile phone 2130 and/or the tablet2132 is in communication with a cellular network 2516 and/or a network2514. The network 2514 is any network for providing wired or wirelessconnection to the Internet, such as a local area network (LAN) or a widearea network (WAN).

An SOC mobile application 2512 is installed and running at the mobilephone 2130 and/or the tablet 2132. The SOC mobile application 2512 isimplemented according to the type (i.e., the operating system) of mobilephone 2130 and/or tablet 2132 on which it is running. The SOC mobileapplication 2512 is designed to receive SOC information from theportable battery pack. The SOC mobile application 2512 indicatesgraphically, audibly, and/or tactilely, the state of charge to the user(not shown).

FIG. 22B illustrates a block diagram of an example of a second SOCsystem 2520 of the portable battery pack that is capable ofcommunicating with the SOC mobile application 2512. In this example, thesecond SOC system 2520 includes an SOC portion 2522 and a communicationsportion 2524. The SOC portion 2522 is substantially the same as thecontrol electronics 2430 shown in FIG. 21 . The communications portion2524 handles the communication of the SOC information to the SOC mobileapplication 2512 at, for example, the mobile phone 2130 and/or thetablet 2132.

The communications portion 2524 includes a processor 2526 that iscommunicatively connected to the communications interface 2510. Thedigital output of the ADC 2434 of the SOC portion 2522, which is the SOCinformation, feeds an input to the processor 2526. The processor 2526 isany controller, microcontroller, or microprocessor that is capable ofprocessing program instructions. One or more batteries 2528 providepower to the processor 2526 and the communications interface 2510. Theone or more batteries 2528 can be any standard cylindrical battery, suchas quadruple-A, triple-A, or double-A, or a battery from the family ofbutton cell and coin cell batteries. A specific example of a battery2528 is the CR2032 coin cell 3-volt battery.

In the second SOC system 2520, the SOC portion 2522 and thecommunications portion 2524 operate substantially independent of oneanother. Namely, the communications portion 2524 is powered separatelyfrom the SOC portion 2522 so that the communications portion 2524 is notdependent on the presence of the input voltage VIN at the SOC portion2522 for power. Therefore, in this example, the communications portion2524 is operable to transmit information to the SOC mobile application2512 at any time. However, in order to conserve battery life, in oneembodiment the processor 2526 is programmed to be in sleep mode when novoltage is detected at the input voltage VIN at the SOC portion 2522 andto wake up when an input voltage VIN is detected. Alternatively, theprocessor 2526 is programmed to periodically measure the SOC and sendSOC information to the SOC mobile application 2512 on the at least oneremote device periodically, such as every hour, regardless of the stateof input voltage VIN.

FIG. 22C illustrates a block diagram of another example of controlelectronics 2530 of the portable battery pack that is capable ofcommunicating with the SOC mobile application 2512. In this example, theoperation of the communications interface 2510 is dependent on thepresence of a voltage at input voltage VIN. This is because, in controlelectronics 2530, the communications interface 2510 is powered from theoutput of voltage sensing circuit 2432. Further, the processor 2436provides the input (i.e., the SOC information) to the communicationsinterface 2510. A drawback of the control electronics 2530 of FIG. 22Cas compared with the SOC system 2520 of FIG. 22B, is that it is operableto transmit SOC information to the SOC mobile application 2512 only whenthe portable battery pack has a charge.

Alternatively, the SOC of the battery of the portable battery pack isdetermined by a pluggable state of charge indicator. An example of apluggable state of charge indicator is disclosed in U.S. PublicationNos. 20170269162 and 20150198670, each of which is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety. Advantageously, intermittently measuringthe SOC of the battery extends the run time of the battery.

In another preferred embodiment, the portable battery pack includes abattery enclosed by a wearable pouch or skin sized to hold the batteryand additional devices or components as shown in FIGS. 23-24 . In thisexample, the pouch 110 is a wearable pouch or skin that can be sized inany manner that substantially corresponds to a size of at least onebattery, at least one radio, at least one power and/or data hub, atleast one GPS system, and/or other gear.

In a preferred embodiment, the pouch 110 is formed of a flexible,durable, and waterproof or at least water-resistant material. Forexample, the pouch 110 is formed of polyester, polyvinyl chloride(PVC)-coated polyester, vinyl-coated polyester, nylon, canvas,PVC-coated canvas, or polycotton canvas. In one embodiment, the pouch110 is formed of a material that is laminated to or treated with awaterproofing or water repellant material (e.g., rubber, PVC,polyurethane, silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, wax, thermoplasticelastomer). Additionally, or alternatively, the pouch 110 is treatedwith a UV coating to increase UV resistance. The exterior finish of thepouch 110 can be any color, such as white, brown, green, orange (e.g.,international orange), yellow, black, or blue, or any pattern, such ascamouflage, as provided herein, or any other camouflage in use by themilitary, law enforcement, or hunters. For example, in FIGS. 23-24 , thepouch 110 is shown to have a camouflage pattern. In one embodiment, theexterior of the pouch 110 includes a reflective tape (e.g., infraredreflective tape), fabric, or material. Advantageously, the reflectivetape, fabric, or material improves visibility of the user in low-lightconditions.

The pouch 110 has a first side 112 and a second side 114. The pouch 110also includes a pouch opening 116, which is the opening through which abattery is fitted into the pouch 110. In the example shown in FIGS.23-24 , the pouch opening 116 is opened and closed using a zipper, asthe pouch 110 includes a zipper tab 118. Other mechanisms, however, canbe used for holding the pouch opening 116 of the pouch 110 open orclosed, such as, a hook and loop system (e.g., Velcro®), buttons, snaps,hooks, ties, clips, buckles, and the like. In a preferred embodiment,the pouch 110 has at least one opening for a corresponding lead. In theexample shown in FIGS. 23-24 , the pouch 110 has a first lead opening120 a for a first lead 152 a and a second lead opening 120 b for asecond lead 152 b. For example, the first lead opening 120 a and/or thesecond lead opening 120 b can be a 0.5-inch long slit or a 0.75-inchlong slit in the edge of the pouch 110. In one embodiment, the firstlead opening 120 a and/or the second lead opening 120 b is finished orreinforced with stitching. In another embodiment, the first lead opening120 a and/or the second lead opening 120 b is laser cut.

In a preferred embodiment, the pouch 110 of the portable battery pack100 is MOLLE-compatible. In one embodiment, the pouch 110 incorporates apouch attachment ladder system (PALS), which is a grid of webbing usedto attach smaller equipment onto load-bearing platforms, such as vestsand backpacks. For example, the PALS grid consists of horizontal rows of1-inch (2.5 cm) webbing, spaced about one inch apart, and reattached tothe backing at 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) intervals. In one embodiment, thewebbing is formed of nylon (e.g., cordura nylon webbing, MIL-W-43668Type III nylon webbing). Accordingly, a set of straps 122 (e.g., fourstraps 122) are provided on one edge of the pouch 110 as shown. Further,rows of webbing 124 (e.g., seven rows 124) are provided on the firstside 112 of the pouch 110, as shown in FIG. 23 . Additionally, rows ofslots or slits 126 (e.g., eleven rows of slots or slits 126) areprovided on the second side 114 of the pouch 110, as shown in FIG. 24 .In a preferred embodiment, the set of straps 122, the rows of webbing124, and the rows of slots or slits 126 replicate and duplicate theMOLLE underneath the portable battery pack on the load bearingequipment. Advantageously, this allows for minimal disruption to theuser because the user can place additional gear pouches or gear (e.g.,water bottle, antenna pouch) on the MOLLE of the portable battery packin an equivalent location.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 23-24 , the portable battery pack ismade to affix to a plate carrier, body armor, or a vest with at leastone single width of zipper tape sewn on the front panel or the backpanel (e.g., JPC 2.0™ by Crye Precision). FIGS. 23-24 show details ofthe first side 112 of the pouch 110 including a first single width ofzipper tape 190 a and a first zipper slider 192 a and a second singlewidth of zipper tape 190 b and a second zipper slider 192 b. The firstsingle width of zipper tape 190 a mates with a corresponding singlewidth of zipper tape on the plate carrier, the body armor, or the vest.The second single width of zipper tape 190 b also mates with acorresponding single width of zipper tape on the plate carrier, the bodyarmor, or the vest.

In one embodiment, at least one lead of the battery of the portablebattery pack is used to power at least one device enclosed in the pouchof the portable battery pack. In the example shown in FIGS. 25-26 , thebattery of the portable battery pack has a first lead 152 a and a secondlead (not shown). The first lead 152 a exits the pouch 110 through alead opening 120. The second lead is used to power at least one deviceenclosed in the pouch 110 of the portable battery pack.

The portable battery pack is operable to supply power to a powerdistribution and data hub. The power distribution and data hub isoperable to supply power to at least one peripheral device (e.g.,tablet, smartphone, computer, radio, rangefinder, GPS system). The powerdistribution and data hub is also operable to transfer data between atleast two of the peripheral devices. Additionally, the powerdistribution and data hub is operable to transfer data between thebattery and the at least one peripheral device when the battery includesat least one processor. In a preferred embodiment, the powerdistribution and data hub is enclosed in the pouch of the portablebattery pack. Alternatively, the power distribution and data hub is notenclosed in the pouch of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 27 illustrates a block diagram of one example of a powerdistribution and data hub (e.g., STAR-PAN™ by Glenair). The powerdistribution and data hub 2100 is connected to the battery 150 of theportable battery pack. The battery 150 supplies power to the powerdistribution and data hub 2100. In the example shown in FIG. 27 , thepower distribution and data hub 2100 provides power to an end userdevice (EUD) 2102. The end user device 2102 is a tablet, a smartphone,or a computer (e.g., laptop computer). The power distribution and datahub 2100 is operable to provide power to a first peripheral device 2104,a second peripheral device 2106, a third peripheral device 2108, and afourth peripheral device 2110 through a personal area network (PAN). Inone embodiment, the first peripheral device 2104, the second peripheraldevice 2106, the third peripheral device 2108, and/or the fourthperipheral device 2110 is a radio, a rangefinder (e.g., Pocket LaserRange Finder (PLRF)), a laser designator (e.g., Special OperationsForces Laser Acquisition Marker (SOFLAM), Type 163 Laser TargetDesignator), a targeting system (e.g., Firestorm™), a GPS device (e.g.,Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR)), night vision goggles, anelectronic jamming system (e.g., AN/PLT-4, AN/PLT-5 (Thor II) by SierraNevada Corporation, Thor III), a mine detector, a metal detector, acamera (e.g., body camera), a thermal imaging device (e.g., camera,binoculars), a short wave infrared (SWIR) device, a satellite phone, anantenna, a lighting system (e.g., portable runway lights, infraredstrobe lights), an environmental sensor (e.g., radiation, airbornechemicals, pressure, temperature, humidity), an amplifier, and/or areceiver (e.g., Tactical Net ROVER™ Intelligence, Surveillance, andReconnaissance (ISR), Multi-Band Digital Video Receiver Enhanced (MVRVIE), Multi-Band Video Receiver (MVR IV), Soldier Intelligence Receiver(SIR), StrikeHawk™ Video Downlink Receiver). The power distribution anddata hub 2100 is operable to supply power to peripheral devices thatrequire 5V charging via a USB adapter.

The power distribution and data hub 2100 is operable to supply power toa first radio 2112 and a second radio 2114. In a preferred embodiment,the first radio 2112 and/or the second radio 2114 is a PRC-152, aPRC-154, a PRC-117G, a PRC-161, a persistent wave relay, a PRC-148MBITR, a PRC-148 JEM, a PRC-6809 MBITR Clear, a RT-1922 SADL, aRF-7850M-HH, a ROVER® (e.g., ROVER® 6x Transceiver by L3 CommunicationSystems), a push-to-talk radio, and/or a PNR-1000. Alternative radiosare compatible with the present invention.

In another embodiment, the first peripheral device 2104, the secondperipheral device 2106, the third peripheral device 2108, and/or thefourth peripheral device 2110 is a fish finder and/or a chartplotter, anaerator or a live bait well, a camera (e.g., an underwater camera), atemperature and/or a depth sensor, a stereo, a drone, and/or a lightingsystem. In one embodiment, the lighting system includes at least oneLED.

The power distribution and data hub is operable to recharge at least onebattery. For example, the power distribution and data hub is operable torecharge a battery for a drone and/or a robot. The power distributionand data hub is also operable to recharge CR123 batteries, which areoften used in devices, such as camera and lighting systems.Advantageously, this allows the power distribution and data hub torecharge batteries in remote locations without access to a power grid, agenerator, and/or a vehicle battery.

The power distribution and data hub 2100 is operable to transfer databetween the end user device 2102, the first peripheral device 2104, thesecond peripheral device 2106, the third peripheral device 2108, thefourth peripheral device 2110, the first radio 2112, the second radio2114, and/or the battery 150 when the battery 150 includes at least oneprocessor.

The power distribution and data hub 2100 has a port to obtain power froman auxiliary power source 2116. In one embodiment, the auxiliary powersource 2116 is an alternating current (AC) adapter, a solar panel, agenerator, a portable power case, a fuel cell, a vehicle battery, arechargeable battery, and/or a non-rechargeable battery. Alternatively,the auxiliary power source 2116 is an inductive charger. In anotherembodiment, the auxiliary power source 2116 is operable to supply powerto the power distribution and data hub 2100 by harvesting ambientradiofrequency (RF) waves, capturing exothermic body reactions (e.g.,heat, sweat), using friction (e.g., triboelectric effect) or kineticenergy, or harvesting energy from running water or wind energy. In yetanother embodiment, the auxiliary power source 2116 is a pedal powergenerator. The auxiliary power source 2116 is preferably operable torecharge the battery 150.

FIG. 28 illustrates a block diagram of another example of a powerdistribution and data hub (e.g., APEx™ by Black Diamond AdvancedTechnology). The power distribution and data hub 2200 is connected tothe battery 150 of the portable battery pack. The battery 150 suppliespower to the power distribution and data hub 2200. In the example shownin FIG. 28 , the power distribution and data hub 2200 provides power toan end user device 2102. The end user device 2102 is a tablet, asmartphone, or a computer (e.g., laptop computer). The powerdistribution and data hub 2200 is operable to provide power to a firstperipheral device 2104, a second peripheral device 2106, a thirdperipheral device 2108, and a fourth peripheral device 2110. In oneembodiment, the first peripheral device 2104, the second peripheraldevice 2106, the third peripheral device 2108, and/or the fourthperipheral device 2110 is a radio, a rangefinder (e.g., Pocket LaserRange Finder (PLRF)), a laser designator (e.g., Special OperationsForces Laser Acquisition Marker (SOFLAM), Type 163 Laser TargetDesignator), a targeting system (e.g., Firestorm™), a GPS device (e.g.,Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR)), night vision goggles, anelectronic jamming system (e.g., AN/PLT-4, AN/PLT-5 (Thor II) by SierraNevada Corporation, Thor III), a mine detector, a metal detector, acamera (e.g., body camera), a thermal imaging device (e.g., camera,binoculars), a short wave infrared (SWIR) device, a satellite phone, anantenna, a lighting system (e.g., portable runway lights, infraredstrobe lights), an environmental sensor (e.g., radiation, airbornechemicals, pressure, temperature, humidity), an amplifier, and/or areceiver (e.g., Tactical Net ROVER™, Intelligence, Surveillance, andReconnaissance (ISR), Multi-Band Digital Video Receiver Enhanced (MVRVIE), Multi-Band Video Receiver (MVR IV), Soldier Intelligence Receiver(SIR), StrikeHawk™ Video Downlink Receiver). In a preferred embodiment,the radio is a PRC-152, a PRC-154, a PRC-117G, a PRC-161, a persistentwave relay, a PRC-148 MBITR, a PRC-148 JEM, a PRC-6809 MBITR Clear, aRT-1922 SADL, a RF-7850M-HH, a ROVER® (e.g., ROVER® 6x Transceiver by L3Communication Systems), a push-to-talk radio, and/or a PNR-1000.Alternative radios are compatible with the present invention.

The power distribution and data hub 2200 is operable to transfer databetween the end user device 2102, the first peripheral device 2104, thesecond peripheral device 2106, the third peripheral device 2108, thefourth peripheral device 2110, and/or the battery 150 when the battery150 includes at least one processor.

In one embodiment, the power distribution and data hub includes at leastone step up voltage converter and/or at least one step down voltageconverter. In one example, the power distribution and data hub ispowered by a 16.8V battery and includes a step up voltage converter to29.4V. In another example, the power distribution and data hub ispowered by a 16.8V battery and includes a step down voltage converter to5V. Advantageously, this allows the portable battery pack to powerdevices (e.g., smartphones) with a charging voltage of 5V. This alsoreduces the bulk outside the power distribution and data hub because thestep down voltage converter is housed within the power distribution anddata hub and a separate external voltage converter is not required.

In another embodiment, the power distribution and data hub is operableto prioritize a supply of power to the at least one peripheral device.In one example, the power distribution and data hub is connected to afirst peripheral device and a second peripheral device. The powerdistribution and data hub will stop supplying power to the secondperipheral device when the available power in the battery and/orauxiliary power source is lower than a designated threshold. In anotherexample, the power distribution and data hub is connected to a firstperipheral device, a second peripheral device, a third peripheraldevice, and a fourth peripheral device. The power distribution and datahub will stop supplying power to the fourth peripheral device when theavailable power in the battery and/or auxiliary power source is lowerthan a first designated threshold, the power distribution and data hubwill stop supplying power to the third peripheral device when theavailable power in the battery and/or auxiliary power source is lowerthan a second designated threshold, and the power distribution and datahub will stop supplying power to the second peripheral device when theavailable power in the battery and/or auxiliary power source is lowerthan a third designated threshold.

In one embodiment, the power distribution and data hub provides power inan order of priority of the attached peripheral device and automaticallycuts out devices of lower mission priority in order to preserveremaining power for higher priority devices. In one example, a radio hasa first (i.e., top) priority, a tablet has a second priority, a mobilephone has a third priority, and a laser designator (e.g., SpecialOperations Forces Laser Acquisition Marker (SOFLAM)) has a fourthpriority.

In one embodiment, the power distribution and data hub prioritizes atleast one peripheral device by using at least one smart cable. The atleast one smart cable stores information including, but not limited to,a unique identifier (e.g., MAC address) for the at least one peripheraldevice, power requirements of the at least one peripheral device, a typeof device for the at least one peripheral device, and/or a priorityranking for the at least one peripheral device.

FIG. 29 illustrates an interior perspective view of an example of theportable battery pack that includes a battery 150 and a powerdistribution and data hub 2100 enclosed by a wearable pouch or skin. Thefirst side 112 of the pouch 110 has an interior of the first side 2301.The second side 114 of the pouch 110 has an interior of the second side2302. The first side 112 has a first side gusset 2303 and the secondside 114 has a second side gusset 2304. The first side gusset 2303 andthe second side gusset 2304 are attached at a top position of a fabricstop 2306 and a bottom position of the fabric stop 2306. A zipper 2308with a zipper pull 2310 is attached to the first side gusset 2303 andthe second side gusset 2304. Advantageously, this configuration allowsthe pouch 110 to lie flat when opened.

In a preferred embodiment, an interior of the pouch includes at leastone integrated pocket. In the example shown in FIG. 29 , the interior ofthe first side 2301 has an integrated pocket 2312. The integrated pocket2312 is formed of polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-coated polyester,vinyl-coated polyester, nylon, canvas, PVC-coated canvas, polycottoncanvas, and/or a mesh fabric. In a preferred embodiment, the integratedpocket 2312 is formed of a clear vinyl fabric. Advantageously, thisallows a user to see the contents of the integrated pocket 2312. In oneexample, the user stores a map or instructions in the integrated pocket2312. The integrated pocket 2312 closes using a piece of elastic 2314.Alternatively, the integrated pocket 2312 closes using a zipper, a hookand loop system, one or more buttons, one or more snaps, one or moreties, one or more buckles, one or more clips, and/or one or more hooks.

The interior of the second side 2302 holds a battery 150, a powerdistribution and data hub 2100, a first radio 2112, and a second radio2114. In a preferred embodiment, the battery 150 is held in place by atleast one strap 2318. The at least one strap 2318 is preferably made ofan elastic material. Alternatively, the at least one strap 2318 is madeof a non-elastic material. In other embodiments, the at least one strap2318 includes hook-and-loop tape. A first spring 174 a of a first lead(not shown) extends out of the pouch 110 through a lead opening 120. Asecond spring 174 b surrounds wiring that is electrically connected to aconnector portion 170 b. The connector 170 b is electrically connectedto a mating connector 2320 that is attached to a battery cable 2322,which connects to the power distribution and data hub 2100.

In a preferred embodiment, the power distribution and data hub 2100 isheld in place by at least one strap 2324. The at least one strap 2324 ispreferably made of an elastic material. Alternatively, the at least onestrap 2324 is made of a non-elastic material. In other embodiments, theat least one strap 2324 includes hook-and-loop tape.

The power distribution and data hub 2100 is connected to an end userdevice 2102 (e.g., tablet, smartphone, computer) via an end user devicecable 2326. The end user device cable 2326 extends out of the pouch 110through an end user device cable opening 2328.

The power distribution and data hub 2100 is connected to the first radio2112 via a first radio cable 2332. The first radio 2112 is held in placeby at least one strap 2330. The at least one strap 2330 is preferablymade of an elastic material. Alternatively, the at least one strap 2330is made of a non-elastic material. In other embodiments, the at leastone strap 2330 includes hook-and-loop tape. In one embodiment, the firstradio 2112 has an antenna 2334 that extends out of the pouch 110 througha first radio antenna opening 2336 in the second side gusset 2304. Thepower distribution and data hub 2100 is connected to the second radio2114 via a second radio cable 2340. The second radio 2114 is held inplace by at least one strap 2338. The at least one strap 2338 ispreferably made of an elastic material. Alternatively, the at least onestrap 2338 is made of a non-elastic material. In other embodiments, theat least one strap 2338 includes hook-and-loop tape. The second radio2114 has an antenna 2342 that extends out of the pouch 110 through asecond radio antenna opening 2344 in the second side gusset 2304.

Although FIG. 29 illustrates the power distribution and data hub 2100 inan orientation above the battery 150, it is equally possible for thebattery 150 to be in an orientation above the power distribution anddata hub 2100. In one embodiment, the orientation of the powerdistribution and data hub 2100 relative to the battery 150 is selectedby the user based on multiple factors, including accessibility toequipment and weight distribution.

FIG. 30 is a detail view of the interior perspective view of the exampleof the portable battery pack shown in FIG. 29 . The power distributionand data hub 2100 is operable to provide power to a first peripheraldevice 2104, a second peripheral device 2106, a third peripheral device2108, and a fourth peripheral device 2110 through a personal areanetwork (PAN). The power distribution and data hub 2100 is connected tothe first peripheral device 2104 via a first peripheral device cable2346. The first peripheral device cable 2346 extends out of the pouch110 through a first peripheral device cable opening 2348 in the secondside gusset 2304. Alternatively, the first peripheral device cable 2346extends out of the pouch 110 through an opening in the second side 114of the pouch 110. The power distribution and data hub 2100 is connectedto the second peripheral device 2106 via a second peripheral devicecable 2354. The second peripheral device cable 2354 extends out of thepouch 110 through a second peripheral device cable opening 2356 in thesecond side 114 of the pouch 110. Alternatively, the second peripheraldevice cable 2354 extends out of the pouch 110 through an opening in thesecond side gusset 2304. The power distribution and data hub 2100 isconnected to the third peripheral device 2108 via a third peripheraldevice cable 2350. The third peripheral device cable 2350 extends out ofthe pouch 110 through a third peripheral device cable opening 2352 inthe second side gusset 2304. Alternatively, the third peripheral devicecable 2350 extends out of the pouch 110 through an opening in the secondside 114 of the pouch 110. The power distribution and data hub 2100 isconnected to the fourth peripheral device 2110 via a fourth peripheraldevice cable 2358. The fourth peripheral device cable 2358 extends outof the pouch 110 through a fourth peripheral device cable opening 2360in the second side 114 of the pouch 110. Alternatively, the fourthperipheral device cable 2358 extends out of the pouch 110 through anopening in the second side gusset 2304. In other embodiments, at leastone of the first peripheral device 2104, the second peripheral device2106, the third peripheral device 2108, and/or the fourth peripheraldevice 2110 is stored in the pouch 110.

The power distribution and data hub 2100 is operable to obtain powerfrom an auxiliary power source 2116. The power distribution and data hub2100 is connected to the auxiliary power source 2116 via an auxiliarypower source cable 2364. The auxiliary power source cable 2364 extendsout of the pouch 110 through an auxiliary power source cable opening2364 in the second side gusset 2304. Alternatively, the auxiliary powersource cable 2364 extends out of the pouch 110 through an opening in thesecond side 114 of the pouch 110. In another embodiment, the auxiliarypower source 2116 (e.g., a non-rechargeable battery) is stored in thepouch 110.

In one embodiment, the auxiliary power source 2116 is an alternatingcurrent (AC) adapter, a solar panel, a generator, a portable power case,a fuel cell, a vehicle battery, a rechargeable battery, and/or anon-rechargeable battery. Alternatively, the auxiliary power source 2116is an inductive charger. In another embodiment, the auxiliary powersource 2116 is operable to supply power to the power distribution anddata hub 2100 by harvesting ambient radiofrequency (RF) waves, capturingexothermic body reactions (e.g., heat, sweat), using friction (e.g.,triboelectric effect) or kinetic energy, or harvesting energy fromrunning water or wind energy. In yet another embodiment, the auxiliarypower source 2116 is a pedal power generator. The auxiliary power source2116 is preferably operable to recharge the battery 150.

FIG. 31A illustrates an interior perspective view of an example of theportable battery pack that includes an object retention system in thewearable pouch or skin. The pouch 110 has an interior of a first side2301 and an interior of a second side 2302. In a preferred embodiment,the interior of the first side 2301 and/or the interior of the secondside 2302 contains an object retention system (e.g., GRID-IT® by CocoonInnovations) as described in U.S. Publication Nos. 20090039122,20130214119, and 20130256498, each of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

The object retention system is formed of a weave of a plurality ofrubberized elastic bands. The plurality of rubberized elastic bands ispreferably formed of a first set of straps 2902 and a second set ofstraps 2904. The first set of straps 2902 is preferably orientedsubstantially perpendicular to the second set of straps 2904.Additionally, each strap in the first set of straps 2902 is preferablyoriented substantially parallel to other straps in the first set ofstraps 2902. Further, each strap in the second set of straps 2904 ispreferably oriented substantially parallel to other straps in the secondset of straps 2904. In the example shown in FIG. 31A, the first set ofstraps 2902 is shown in a substantially vertical direction and thesecond set of straps 2904 is shown in a substantially horizontaldirection.

In the example shown in FIG. 31A, the interior of the first side 2301has an object retention system. The object retention system is shownholding a state of charge indicator 2906. An example of a state ofcharge indicator 2906 is disclosed in U.S. Publication Nos. 20170269162and 20150198670, each of which is incorporated herein by reference inits entirety. The object retention system is also shown holding auniversal DC power adaptor 2908. An example of a universal DC poweradaptor 2908 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,240,651, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The object retentionsystem is shown holding a first half of an AC adapter 2910 and a secondhalf of an AC adapter 2912.

The interior of the second side 2302 holds a battery 150. A first wiringportion 172 a of a first lead (not shown) extends out of the pouch 110through a first lead opening 120 a. A second wiring portion 172 b of asecond lead 152 b extends out of the pouch 110 through a second leadopening 120 b. A first spring 174 a is provided around the first wiringportion 172 a, such that a portion of the first spring 174 a is insidethe battery cover and a portion of the first spring 174 a is outside thebattery cover. The presence of the first spring 174 a around the firstwiring portion 172 a of the first lead (not shown) allows the first leadto be flexed in any direction for convenient connection to equipmentfrom any angle. The presence of the first spring 174 a around the firstwiring portion 172 a of the first lead also allows the first lead to beflexed repeatedly without breaking or failing. A second spring 174 b isprovided around the second wiring portion 172 b, such that a portion ofthe second spring 174 b is inside the battery cover and a portion of thesecond spring 174 b is outside the battery cover. The presence of thesecond spring 174 b around the second wiring portion 172 b of the secondlead 152 b allows the second lead 152 b to be flexed in any directionfor convenient connection to equipment from any angle. The presence ofthe second spring 174 b around the second wiring portion 172 b of thesecond lead 152 b also allows the second lead 152 b to be flexedrepeatedly without breaking or failing. In one example, the first spring174 a and/or the second spring 174 b is a steel spring that is fromabout 0.25 inches to about 1.5 inches long.

FIG. 31B illustrates an interior perspective view of another example ofthe portable battery pack that includes an object retention system inthe wearable pouch or skin. In the example shown in FIG. 31B, theinterior of the second side 2302 holds a battery 150 and a powerdistribution and data hub 2200. In a preferred embodiment, the battery150 is held in place by a battery pocket 2950. The battery pocket 2950is formed of polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-coated polyester,vinyl-coated polyester, nylon, canvas, PVC-coated canvas, polycottoncanvas, and/or a mesh fabric. In one embodiment, the battery pocket 2950closes using a piece of elastic 2952. In another embodiment, the batterypocket 2950 includes at least one layer of a material for dissipatingheat. Alternatively, the battery pocket 2950 closes using a zipper, ahook and loop system, one or more buttons, one or more snaps, one ormore ties, one or more buckles, one or more clips, and/or one or morehooks. A first spring 174 a of a first lead (not shown) extends out ofthe battery pocket 2950 through a first battery pocket opening 2954. Afirst wiring portion 172 a of the first lead extends out of the pouch110 through a first lead opening 120 a. A second spring 174 b of asecond lead extends out of the battery pocket 2950 through a secondbattery pocket opening 2956. The second spring 174 b surrounds wiringthat is electrically connected to a connector portion 170 b. Theconnector 170 b is electrically connected to a mating connector 2320that is attached to a battery cable 2322, which connects to the powerdistribution and data hub 2200.

In a preferred embodiment, the power distribution and data hub 2200 isheld in place by at least one strap 2324. The at least one strap 2324 ispreferably made of an elastic material. Alternatively, the at least onestrap 2324 is made of a non-elastic material. In other embodiments, theat least one strap 2324 includes hook-and-loop tape. In anotherembodiment, the power distribution and data hub 2200 is held in place bya hub pocket. The hub pocket is formed of polyester, polyvinyl chloride(PVC)-coated polyester, vinyl-coated polyester, nylon, canvas,PVC-coated canvas, polycotton canvas, and/or a mesh fabric. In oneembodiment, the hub pocket closes using a piece of elastic. In anotherembodiment, the hub pocket includes at least one layer of a material fordissipating heat.

The power distribution and data hub 2200 is connected to an end userdevice 2102 (e.g., tablet, smartphone, computer) via an end user devicecable 2326. The end user device cable 2326 extends out of the pouch 110through an end user device cable opening 2328.

The power distribution and data hub 2200 is connected to a firstperipheral device via a first peripheral device cable 2346. The firstperipheral device cable 2346 extends out of the pouch 110 through afirst peripheral device cable opening 2348. Alternatively, the firstperipheral device cable 2346 extends out of the pouch 110 through anopening in the second side 114 of the pouch 110. In the example shown inFIG. 31B, the first peripheral device is a first radio (not shown). Thefirst radio is connected to a first antenna relocator 2962. The firstantenna relocator 2962 extends out of the pouch 110 through a firstantenna relocator opening 2964 in the second side 114 of the pouch 110.The first antenna relocator 2962 is connected to the first radio via afirst antenna relocator cable 2966 that extends out of the pouch 110through a first antenna relocator cable opening 2968.

The power distribution and data hub 2200 is connected to the secondperipheral device 2106 via a second peripheral device cable 2354. In theexample shown in FIG. 31B, the second peripheral device 2106 is a GPSdevice (e.g., GPS puck). The second peripheral device 2106 is held inplace by a GPS device pocket 2970. The GPS device pocket 2970 is formedof polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-coated polyester, vinyl-coatedpolyester, nylon, canvas, PVC-coated canvas, polycotton canvas, and/or amesh fabric. In one embodiment, the GPS device pocket 2970 closes usinga piece of elastic 2972. Alternatively, the GPS device pocket 2970closes using a zipper, a hook and loop system, one or more buttons, oneor more snaps, one or more ties, one or more buckles, one or more clips,and/or one or more hooks. In another embodiment, the GPS device pocket2970 includes at least one layer of a material for dissipating heat.

The power distribution and data hub 2200 is connected to the thirdperipheral device 2108 via a third peripheral device cable 2350. Thethird peripheral device cable 2350 extends out of the pouch 110 througha third peripheral device cable opening 2352 in the second side gusset2304. Alternatively, the third peripheral device cable 2350 extends outof the pouch 110 through an opening in the second side 114 of the pouch110.

The power distribution and data hub 2200 is connected to the fourthperipheral device 2110 via a fourth peripheral device cable 2358. Thefourth peripheral device cable 2358 extends out of the pouch 110 througha fourth peripheral device cable opening 2360. Alternatively, the fourthperipheral device cable 2358 extends out of the pouch 110 through anopening in the second side 114 of the pouch 110. In the example shown inFIG. 31B, the fourth peripheral device 2110 is a second radio. Thesecond radio is connected to a second antenna relocator 2974. The secondantenna relocator 2974 extends out of the pouch 110 through a secondantenna relocator opening 2976 in the second side 114 of the pouch 110.The second antenna relocator 2974 is connected to the second radio via asecond antenna relocator cable 2978 that extends out of the pouch 110through a second antenna relocator cable opening 2980.

FIG. 32 is an exploded view of an example of a battery and a powerdistribution and data hub housed in the same enclosure 3000. Theenclosure 3000 includes a battery element 164 and a power distributionand data hub 3002 that is housed between a cover 3054 and a back plate3062. The battery element 164 supplies the first lead 152 a and thesecond lead 152 b. The battery element 164 is formed of a plurality ofsealed battery cells or individually contained battery cells, i.e.batteries with their own cases, removably disposed therein.

The power distribution and data hub 3002 is connected to the batteryelement 164 via a cable 3070. The power distribution and data hub 3002includes at least one connector 3072. The at least one connector 3072 ispanel mounted or an omnidirectional flexible lead (e.g., FIG. 18 ). Inone embodiment, the at least one connector 3072 includes a dust cap (notshown) to cover a corresponding lead. Advantageously, the dust capprotects the at least one connector from dust and other environmentalcontaminants that may cause battery failure in the field.

The cover 3054 includes a battery compartment 3056 that is sized toreceive at least one battery element 164. The cover 3054 includes a hubcompartment 3064 that is sized to receive the power distribution anddata hub 3002. In a preferred embodiment, the battery compartment 3056is substantially rectangular in shape. In one embodiment, the hubcompartment 3064 is substantially rectangular in shape. The batterycompartment 3056 is connected to the hub compartment 3064 via a channel3066 sized to receive the cable 3070. A top hat style rim 3058 isprovided around a perimeter of the battery compartment 3056 and the hubcompartment 3064. The cover 3054 incudes at least one channel formed inthe cover 3054 to accommodate a wire of a corresponding lead. Theexample in FIG. 32 shows two channels 3060 (e.g., channels 3060 a, 3060b) formed in the cover 3054 (one on each side) to accommodate the wiresof the first lead 152 a and the second lead 152 b passing therethrough.The cover 3054 includes at least one channel formed in the cover 3054 toaccommodate the at least one connector 3072.

The cover 3054 and the back plate 3062 are formed of plastic using, forexample, a thermoform process or an injection molding. The back plate3062 can be mechanically attached to the rim 3058 of the cover 3054 via,for example, an ultrasonic spot welding process or an adhesive.Advantageously, the top hat style rim 3058 provides a footprint for theultrasonic spot welding process and provides structural integrity forthe battery and the power distribution and data hub housed in the sameenclosure. In one embodiment, a water barrier material (e.g., silicone)is applied to the mating surfaces of the rim 3058 and the back plate3062. In another embodiment, the cover 3054, the back plate 3062, thepower distribution and data hub 3002, and/or the battery element 164 hasa slight curvature or contour for conforming to, for example, the user'svest, backpack, or body armor. In one example, the curvature of theportable battery pack is engineered to match the outward curve of bodyarmor. Advantageously, this means that the portable battery pack doesnot jostle as the operator moves, which results in less caloric energyexpenditure when the operator moves. Alternatively, the cover 3054, theback plate 3062, the power distribution and data hub 3002, and/or thebattery element 164 can have a slight outward curvature or contour forconforming to a user's body (e.g., back region, chest region, abdominalregion, arm, leg). In yet another embodiment, the cover 3054, the backplate 3062, the power distribution and data hub 3002, and/or the batteryelement 164 can have a slight outward curvature or contour forconforming to a user's helmet or hat.

FIG. 33 illustrates an interior perspective view of an example of theportable battery pack that includes a battery and a power distributionand data hub housed in the same enclosure 3000. The first side 112 ofthe pouch 110 has an interior of the first side 2301. The second side114 of the pouch 110 has an interior of the second side 2302. The firstside 112 has a first side gusset 2303 and the second side 114 has asecond side gusset 2304. The first side gusset 2303 and the second sidegusset 2304 are attached at a top position of a fabric stop 2306 and abottom position of the fabric stop 2306. A zipper 2308 with a zipperpull 2310 is attached to the first side gusset 2303 and the second sidegusset 2304. Advantageously, this configuration allows the pouch 110 tolie flat when opened.

In the example shown in FIG. 33 , the interior of the first side 2301has an object retention system. The object retention system is shownholding a state of charge indicator 2906. An example of a state ofcharge indicator 2906 is disclosed in U.S. Publication Nos. 20170269162and 20150198670, each of which is incorporated herein by reference inits entirety. The object retention system is also shown holding auniversal DC power adaptor 2908. An example of a universal DC poweradaptor 2908 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,240,651, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The object retentionsystem is shown holding a first half of an AC adapter 2910 and a secondhalf of an AC adapter 2912.

The interior of the second side 2302 holds a battery and a powerdistribution and data hub housed in the same enclosure 3000. In apreferred embodiment, the battery and the power distribution and datahub housed in the same enclosure 3000 is held in place by at least onestrap 3102. The at least one strap 3102 is preferably made of an elasticmaterial. Alternatively, the at least one strap 3102 is made of anon-elastic material. In other embodiments, the at least one strap 3102includes hook-and-loop tape.

A first wiring portion 172 a of a first lead (not shown) extends out ofthe pouch 110 through a first lead opening 120 a. A second wiringportion 172 b of a second lead 152 b extends out of the pouch 110through a second lead opening 120 b. A first spring 174 a is providedaround the first wiring portion 172 a, such that a portion of the firstspring 174 a is inside the battery cover and a portion of the firstspring 174 a is outside the battery cover. The presence of the firstspring 174 a around the first wiring portion 172 a of the first lead(not shown) allows the first lead to be flexed in any direction forconvenient connection to equipment from any angle. The presence of thefirst spring 174 a around the first wiring portion 172 a of the firstlead also allows the first lead to be flexed repeatedly without breakingor failing. A second spring 174 b is provided around the second wiringportion 172 b, such that a portion of the second spring 174 b is insidethe battery cover and a portion of the second spring 174 b is outsidethe battery cover. The presence of the second spring 174 b around thesecond wiring portion 172 b of the second lead 152 b allows the secondlead 152 b to be flexed in any direction for convenient connection toequipment from any angle. The presence of the second spring 174 b aroundthe second wiring portion 172 b of the second lead 152 b also allows thesecond lead 152 b to be flexed repeatedly without breaking or failing.In one example, the first spring 174 a and/or the second spring 174 b isa steel spring that is from about 0.25 inches to about 1.5 inches long.

FIG. 34 is a detail view of the interior perspective view of the exampleof the portable battery pack shown in FIG. 33 . As previously mentioned,the cover of the battery and the power distribution and data hub housedin the same enclosure 3000 includes a channel 3066 sized to receive acable to connect the battery element and the power distribution and datahub. The power distribution and data hub of the battery and the powerdistribution and data hub housed in the same enclosure 3000 is connectedto an end user device 2102 (e.g., tablet, smartphone, computer) via anend user device cable 2326 connected to a second panel mount connector3218. The end user device cable 2326 extends out of the pouch 110through an end user device cable opening 2328.

The power distribution and data hub of the battery and the powerdistribution and data hub housed in the same enclosure 3000 is operableto provide power to a first peripheral device 2104, a second peripheraldevice 2106, a third peripheral device 2108, and a fourth peripheraldevice 2110 through a personal area network (PAN). In the example shownin FIG. 34 , the first peripheral device 2104 is a first radio. Thefirst peripheral device 2104 is held in place by at least one strap3202. The at least one strap 3202 is preferably made of an elasticmaterial. Alternatively, the at least one strap 3202 is made of anon-elastic material. In other embodiments, the at least one strap 3202includes hook-and-loop tape. In one embodiment, the first peripheraldevice 2104 has an antenna 3204 that extends out of the pouch 110through a first antenna opening 3206 in the second side gusset 2304. Thepower distribution and data hub is connected to the first peripheraldevice 2104 via a first peripheral device cable 3208 with a connector3210 that mates to a first flexible omnidirectional lead 3212 of thepower distribution and data hub. The first flexible omnidirectional lead3212 of the power distribution and data hub extends out of the cover ofthe battery and the power distribution and data hub housed in the sameenclosure 3000 via a first channel 3214 in the cover.

A first spring 3215 is provided around the wiring portion of the firstflexible omnidirectional lead 3212, such that a portion of the firstspring 3215 is inside the cover of the battery and the powerdistribution and data hub housed in the same enclosure 3000 and aportion of the first spring 3215 is outside the cover of the battery andthe power distribution and data hub housed in the same enclosure 3000.In one example, the first spring 3215 is a steel spring that is fromabout 0.25 inches to about 1.5 inches long. In another example, thefirst spring 3215 is a steel spring that is from about 0.25 inches toabout 8 inches long. The wiring portion of the first flexibleomnidirectional lead 3212 and the first spring 3215 are held securely inthe first channel 3214 via a clamping mechanism. Alternatively, thewiring portion of the lead and the spring are held securely in the firstchannel using an adhesive, a retention pin, a hex nut, a hook anchor,and/or a zip tie. The presence of the first spring 3215 around thewiring portion of the first flexible omnidirectional lead 3212 allowsthe first flexible omnidirectional lead 3212 to be flexed in anydirection for convenient connection to equipment from any angle. Thepresence of the first spring 3215 around the wiring portion of the firstflexible omnidirectional lead 3212 also allows the first flexibleomnidirectional lead 3212 to be flexed repeatedly without breaking orfailing.

The power distribution and data hub is connected to the secondperipheral device 2106 via a second peripheral device cable 2354connected to a first panel mount connector 3216. The second peripheraldevice cable 2354 extends out of the pouch 110 through a secondperipheral device cable opening 2356 in the second side gusset 2304.Alternatively, the second peripheral device cable 2354 extends out ofthe pouch 110 through an opening in the second side 114 of the pouch110. The power distribution and data hub is connected to the thirdperipheral device 2108 via a third peripheral device cable 2350connected to a third panel mount connector 3220. The third peripheraldevice cable 2350 extends out of the pouch 110 through a thirdperipheral device cable opening 2352 in the second side gusset 2304.Alternatively, the third peripheral device cable 2350 extends out of thepouch 110 through an opening in the second side 114 of the pouch 110.

In the example shown in FIG. 34 , the fourth peripheral device 2110 is asecond radio. The first peripheral device 2104 is held in place by atleast one strap 3222. The at least one strap 3222 is preferably made ofan elastic material. Alternatively, the at least one strap 3222 is madeof a non-elastic material. In other embodiments, the at least one strap3222 includes hook-and-loop tape. In one embodiment, the fourthperipheral device 2110 has an antenna 3224 that extends out of the pouch110 through a second antenna opening 3226 in the second side gusset2304. The power distribution and data hub is connected to the fourthperipheral device 2110 via a fourth peripheral device cable 3228 with aconnector 3230 that mates to a second flexible omnidirectional lead 3232of the power distribution and data hub. The second flexibleomnidirectional lead 3232 of the power distribution and data hub extendsout of the cover of the battery and the power distribution and data hubhoused in the same enclosure 3000 via a second channel 3234 in thecover.

A second spring 3235 is provided around the wiring portion of the secondflexible omnidirectional lead 3232, such that a portion of the secondspring 3235 is inside the cover of the battery and the powerdistribution and data hub housed in the same enclosure 3000 and aportion of the second spring 3235 is outside the cover of the batteryand the power distribution and data hub housed in the same enclosure3000. In one example, the second spring 3235 is a steel spring that isfrom about 0.25 inches to about 1.5 inches long. In another example, thesecond spring 3235 is a steel spring that is from about 0.25 inches toabout 8 inches long. The wiring portion of the second flexibleomnidirectional lead 3232 and the second spring 3235 are held securelyin the second channel 3234 via a clamping mechanism. Alternatively, thewiring portion of the lead and the spring are held securely in the firstchannel using an adhesive, a retention pin, a hex nut, a hook anchor,and/or a zip tie. The presence of the second spring 3235 around thewiring portion of the second flexible omnidirectional lead 3232 allowsthe second flexible omnidirectional lead 3232 to be flexed in anydirection for convenient connection to equipment from any angle. Thepresence of the second spring 3235 around the wiring portion of thesecond flexible omnidirectional lead 3232 also allows the secondflexible omnidirectional lead 3232 to be flexed repeatedly withoutbreaking or failing.

As previously described, the power distribution and data hub includes atleast one flexible omnidirectional lead in one embodiment. The flexibleomnidirectional lead of the power distribution and data hub ispreferably formed using a spring that is about 0.25 inches to about 8inches long. In one embodiment, the spring of the power distribution anddata hub extends out of the pouch through an opening in the second sidegusset. In one embodiment, the opening includes a grommet. In anotherembodiment, the pouch has a seal around an opening for a correspondinglead of the power distribution and data hub. The seal is tight aroundthe lead, which prevents water from entering the pouch through theopening. In one embodiment, the seal is formed of a rubber (e.g.,neoprene).

In one embodiment, the power distribution and data hub includes at leastone processor and at least one memory. Advantageously, this allows thepower distribution and data hub to run software. In one embodiment, theend user device is a screen (e.g., touch screen). An additionaladvantage of running software off of the power distribution and data hubis that if the screen breaks, a user can leave the screen behind withouta risk of confidential information being exposed. In another embodiment,the power distribution and data hub includes at least one data port.Advantageously, this allows the power distribution and data hub toreceive information from another computing device (e.g., laptop, desktopcomputer).

In another embodiment, the power distribution and data hub includes atleast one layer of a material to dissipate heat. In one embodiment, theat least one layer of a material to dissipate heat is housed within thepower distribution and data hub. In one embodiment, at least one layerof a material to dissipate heat is housed within the power distributionand data hub on an external facing side. Advantageously, this protectsthe power distribution and data hub from external heat sources (e.g., ahot vehicle). In another embodiment, at least one layer of a material todissipate heat is housed within the power distribution and data hub on aside of the power distribution and data hub facing the wearer.Advantageously, this protects the wearer from heat given off by thepower distribution and data hub.

In yet another embodiment, the at least one layer of a material todissipate heat is between the cover and the power distribution and datahub of the battery and the power distribution and data hub housed in thesame enclosure. Advantageously, this protects the power distribution anddata hub from external heat sources (e.g., a hot vehicle). In anotherembodiment, the at least one layer of a material to dissipate heat isbetween the back plate and the power distribution and data hub of thebattery and the power distribution and data hub housed in the sameenclosure. Advantageously, this protects the wearer from heat given offby the power distribution and data hub.

In one embodiment, the battery management system of the battery of theportable battery pack is housed in the power distribution and data hub.Advantageously, this separates heat generated by the battery managementsystem from the plurality of electrochemical cells. In this embodiment,the power distribution and data hub preferably includes at least onelayer of a material to dissipate heat. This embodiment may also provideadditional benefits for distributing weight within the pouch.

In another embodiment, the power distribution and data hub includes amaterial to provide resistance to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/orother projectiles. In one embodiment, the material to provide resistantto bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/or other projectiles is incorporatedinto a housing of the power distribution and data hub. In an alternativeembodiment, the material to provide resistance to bullets, knives,shrapnel, and/or other projectiles is housed within the powerdistribution and data hub on an external facing side. Advantageously,this layer protects the electronics housed in the power distribution anddata hub as well as the user. Additionally, or alternatively, thematerial to provide resistance to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/orother projectiles is housed within the power distribution and data hubon a side of the power distribution and data hub facing the wearer.Advantageously, this layer provides additional protection to the user.In another embodiment, the material to provide resistance to bullets,knives, shrapnel, and/or other projectiles is incorporated into thecover and/or back plate of the battery and the power distribution anddata hub housed in the same enclosure.

FIG. 35 illustrates a side perspective view of another example of aportable battery pack 100 affixed to a vest 600 using zippers. In theexample shown in FIG. 35 , the pouch of the portable battery pack 100 issized to hold the battery and additional devices or components. A firstsingle width of zipper tape 190 a is shown mated with a correspondingfirst single width of zipper tape 194 a on a right side of the vest 600using a first zipper slider 192 a, thereby attaching the portablebattery pack 100 to the vest 600. Similarly, a second single width ofzipper tape (not shown) is mated with a corresponding second singlewidth of zipper tape (not shown) on a left side of the vest 600 using asecond zipper slider (not shown).

In summary and referring now to FIG. 3 through FIG. 35 , the presentinvention provides a system for supplying power to at least one powerdistribution and data hub using a portable battery pack including one ormore batteries enclosed in a wearable pouch, wherein the one or morebatteries include at least one battery element, a battery cover, abattery back plate, and one or more flexible omnidirectional leads thatinclude a connector portion and a wiring portion, wherein a flexiblespring is provided around the wiring portion such that a portion of theflexible spring is positioned inside the battery cover and a portion ofthe flexible spring is positioned outside the battery cover.

In other embodiments, the present invention provides a portable batterypack including a wearable pouch and one or more batteries enclosed inthe wearable pouch, wherein the pouch has a first side and an oppositesecond side, a closable opening through which the one or more batteriescan be fitted into the pouch, one or more openings through which one ormore leads from the one or more batteries can be accessed, and whereinthe pouch includes a pouch attachment ladder system (PALS) adapted toattach the pouch to a load-bearing platform.

In some embodiments, the pouch is formed of a flexible, durable, andwaterproof and/or water-resistant material. In particular embodiments,the material forming the pouch is selected from the group consisting ofpolyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-coated polyester, vinyl-coatedpolyester, nylon, canvas, PVC-coated canvas, and polycotton canvas.

In yet more particular embodiments, the pouch has an exterior finishwith a camouflage pattern. In representative embodiments, the camouflagepattern is selected from the group consisting of Universal CamouflagePattern (UCP), MultiCam®, Universal Camouflage Pattern-Delta(UCP-Delta), Airman Battle Uniform (ABU), Navy Working Uniform (NWU),MARPAT, Disruptive Overwhite Snow Digital Camouflage, Urban DigitalCamouflage, and Tactical Assault Camouflage (TACAM).

In some embodiments, the closable opening can be closed by a mechanismselected from the group consisting of a zipper, a hook and loop system,one or more buttons, one or more snaps, one or more ties, one or morebuckles, one or more clips, and one or more hooks.

In particular embodiments, the load-bearing platform is selected fromthe group consisting of a vest (e.g., bulletproof vest, Rhodesian vest),a backpack, body armor, a belt (e.g., tactical belt), a chair, a seat, aboat, a kayak, a canoe, a body of a user (e.g., back region, chestregion, abdominal region, arm, leg), a vehicle (e.g., truck, highmobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (Humvee), all-terrain vehicle(ATV), sport utility vehicle (SUV)), a cargo rack, a helmet, or a hat.In certain embodiments, the portable battery pack is Modular LightweightLoad-carrying Equipment (MOLLE)-compatible. In yet more certainembodiments, the pouch attachment ladder system is formed of a pluralityof straps, a plurality of horizontal rows of webbing, a plurality ofslits, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the one or more batteries include a batteryelement, a battery cover, and a battery back plate. In particularembodiments, one or more of the battery element, battery cover, andbattery back plate have a curvature or contour adapted to conform to acurvature or contour of the load-bearing platform.

In further embodiments, the one or more batteries includes one or moreflexible omnidirectional leads, wherein each lead includes a connectorportion and a wiring portion, and wherein at least a portion of thewiring portion is encompassed by a flexible spring.

In certain embodiments, the battery has a length having a range fromabout 12 inches to about 8 inches, a width having a range from about 10inches to about 7 inches, and a thickness having a range from about 2inches to about 0.5 inches.

Camera

The personal tactical system according to the present invention includesat least one body-worn means for recording audio, video, and/or stillimages (e.g., body cameras 20, 21, 22, 23, FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The at leastone body-worn means for recording audio, video, and/or still imagespreferably includes at least one camera (e.g., video camera). In anotherembodiment, the at least one body-worn means for recording audio, video,and/or still images includes at least one audio recording device. In oneembodiment, the at least one audio recording device includes leveldependent function for ambient listening. In yet another embodiment, theat least one audio recording device is operable to filter ambient noisefrom desired sounds (i.e., noise canceling). The at least one camera isincorporated into the load-bearing garment 15 or removably attachable tothe load-bearing garment (not shown). One or more of the at least onecamera is preferably in electrical connection with the one or morebatteries of the portable battery pack.

FIGS. 36-37 illustrate a front perspective view of other examples of thetactical system according to the present invention. Additionally, oralternatively, the at least one camera is attached or incorporated intoeyeglasses (FIG. 36 ) and/or a helmet (not shown) that is connected tothe personal tactical system. In one embodiment, the eyeglasses and/orthe helmet are connected to the personal tactical system via at leastone video jack 40 and/or at least one audio jack 36. In anotherembodiment, the eyeglasses or the helmet are powered by at least oneinternal battery in the eyeglasses and/or the helmet. The at least oneinternal battery in the eyeglasses and/or the helmet is preferablyoperable to be recharged using the one or more batteries of the portablebattery pack. In one embodiment, the eyeglasses and/or the helmet areoperable to wirelessly transmit data (e.g., BLUETOOTH) to at least oneprocessor of the tactical vest and/or an end user device (e.g.,smartphone, tablet).

The at least one camera preferably includes a forward-facing camera 20,as shown in FIG. 1 . Another embodiment includes at least one additionalcamera. The at least one additional camera is a side-facing camera 21,an upward-facing camera 22, and/or a rear-facing camera 23 as shown inFIG. 2 . Advantageously, multiple cameras are useful for detectingapproaching drones and similar stealth devices, as well as approachingground threats. In one embodiment, one or more of the at least onecamera is on a retractable tether. Advantageously, this allows anoperator to obtain situational awareness by looking around corners or inspaces where the operator wants to stay concealed.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one camera is a 1080p HD videocamera. Alternatively, the at least one camera is a 720p HD videocamera. In another preferred embodiment, the at least one camera has a10°-90° field-of-view. In yet another embodiment, the at least onecamera includes an infrared sensor, operable to detect objects emittingor reflecting infrared radiation, especially near-infrared radiation(0.7 to 1.0 μm). The at least one camera preferably includes anintegrated vector magnetometer (i.e., a compass) 51, such as amicroelectromechanical systems (MEMS) magnetic field sensor, todetermine a direction-of-view of the camera. Alternatively, the compassis separate from the camera, but integrated electronically with at leastone processor of the tactical vest and/or an end user device (e.g.,smartphone, tablet) to provide an azimuth of the tactical system at thetime an image is captured. The tactical system is operable to determinea direction of objects in the image using the azimuth for the image.

In one embodiment, the end user device is operable to use the azimuthprovided from the at least one camera and/or the compass to determinethe azimuth of any object moving towards the camera. In anotherembodiment, the compass is operable to provide data to a processor,which allows an operator to continuously have a latitude and a longitudeof their current location. The latitude and the longitude are preferablyprovided within a 5-meter accuracy using resection. In conjunction withthe rangefinder, this allows the operator to determine a positionwithout relying on GPS in situations where satellites are permanently ortemporarily disabled for GPS readings.

The tactical system is preferably operable to identify a person throughfacial recognition software. The facial recognition software is storedin the tactical vest (e.g., using at least one processor with memory),an end user device (e.g., smartphone, tablet), and/or at least oneremote server. The at least one remote server is preferably operable torelay a positive identification of the person to the wearer (e.g.,tactical vest, end user device) in real time or near-real time.Advantageously, this allows for positive identification of threats(e.g., military high value targets, criminals with outstanding warrants)while maintaining operator safety. In one embodiment, the facialrecognition software is operable to detect pupil dilation of individuals(e.g., suspects, witnesses) to detect lying and/or drug usage (e.g.,anticholinergic drugs). Advantageously, this embodiment providesadditional situational awareness to the operator.

The tactical system is also preferably operable to identify objectsusing object recognition software. The object recognition software isstored in the tactical vest (e.g., using at least one processor withmemory), an end user device (e.g., smartphone, tablet), and/or at leastone remote server. The at least one remote server is preferably operableto relay a positive identification of an object to the wearer (e.g.,tactical vest, end user device) in real time or near-real time.Advantageously, this allows for positive identification of objects(e.g., weapons, drug paraphernalia, motionless body) while maintainingoperator safety.

In another preferred embodiment, the at least one camera includes aplurality of cameras that are positioned in order to provide data neededto stitch together a 360° view of surroundings proximal to the tacticalvest and/or a 3-D image of the surroundings in real time or near-realtime. In one embodiment, images from the at least one camera aretransmitted to at least one remote server for processing and/or storage.In one example, the tactical system includes four cameras that each havea 90° field-of-view positioned to provide a 360° view of surroundingproximal to the tactical vest. The at least one remote server processesthe images to create a 3-D image of the surroundings and transmits the3-D image to at least one command and control center, the tactical vest,and/or an end user device (e.g., smartphone, tablet) in near-real time.The tactical system is preferably operable to obtain data from externalsources (e.g., traffic cameras, building cameras) to stitch together the360° view of surroundings proximal to the tactical vest and/or the 3-Dimage of the surroundings. In another preferred embodiment, the tacticalsystem is operable to obtain data from unmanned aerial systems (e.g.,drones), unmanned ground vehicles (e.g., Dragon Runner®), and K9-mounteddevices (e.g., camera, radiation sensor, chemical sensor) in real timeor near-real time.

Controls

The tactical system includes at least one controller 50 to control theat least one camera and/or other devices (FIG. 36 ). In one embodiment,the at least one controller is embedded in the load-bearing garment. Ina preferred embodiment, the at least one controller is embedded in acontroller flap 55 that can be flipped out so that it is readily visibleby the wearer. The controller flap 55 is preferably operable to secureto the load bearing garment 15 when not in use. In a preferredembodiment, the at least one controller is in electrical connection withand powered by the one or more batteries of the portable battery pack.

In another preferred embodiment, the at least one controller is an enduser device (e.g., smartphone, tablet) as shown in FIG. 37 . In apreferred embodiment, the end user device is removably attachable to theload-bearing garment. In one embodiment, the end user device isremovably attachable to the load-bearing garment via a MOLLE mount 3402(e.g., Galaxy S7® Kit by Kagwerks™, Galaxy S5® Kit by Kagwerks™, GalaxyNote® 2 Kit by Kagwerks™). The MOLLE mount 3402 preferably includes ahinge 3404 that is operable to flip the end user device out such thatthe screen is visible when in use and allows the screen of the end userdevice to rest against the load-bearing garment 15 when not in use. Theend user device includes at least one processor with memory, at leastone transceiver, and/or software operable to control devices on theload-bearing garment. In a preferred embodiment, the end user device isin electrical connection with and powered by the one or more batteriesof the portable battery pack.

Other Devices

As shown in the example in FIG. 36 , the present invention furtherincludes at least one processor with memory 24, at least onephysiological sensor 25, a rangefinder 26, at least one environmentalsensor 28, at least one communication device 30, at least one microphone32 (also shown in FIG. 2 ) for detecting audible sound (e.g., 20Hz-20,000 Hz) and/or inaudible sound (e.g., ultrasound), at least oneaudio loudspeaker device 35, at least one audio jack 36, at least onevideo (e.g., audiovisual) jack 40, at least one tactor (tactile sensor)45, at least one controller 50, a global positioning system (GPS)component 52, at least one frequency scanner 60 (e.g., to detect signalsin the 2.4 GHz ISM band and/or 5 GHz ISM band), and at least oneState-of-Charge (SOC) indicator 2440. The devices are preferably inelectrical connection with and powered by the one or more batteries ofthe portable battery pack. In one embodiment, the devices are inelectrical connection with the one or more batteries of the portablebattery pack via a power distribution and data hub. The electricalconnection is any type or style of connector needed to mate to theequipment to be used with the one or more batteries of the portablebattery pack and/or the power distribution and data hub. In a preferredembodiment, the connector portion is a male circular type of connector(e.g., Tajimi™ part number R04-P5m). In an alternative embodiment, atleast one connector portion is a universal serial bus (USB), micro USB,lightning, and/or Firewire connector. The devices are preferably inwired and/or wireless communication with the at least one processor withmemory 24, for example, using Bluetooth protocols.

The tactical system provides at least one processor with memory 24 asshown in FIG. 36 . The at least one processor with memory 24 preferablystores and runs image recognition software operable to identify objectsin images captured by the at least one camera. The software is alsooperable to determine a general direction of objects using the compass51 of the tactical system and/or known landmark objects in the image.The software is further operable to tell the user to shift position inorder to center an object in the field of view of at least one of thecameras. For example, if an object is on a right edge of thefield-of-view of a camera with a 90-degree field-of-view, the systeminstructs the user to rotate clockwise 45 degrees. In one embodiment,the at least one processor with memory and/or the software is in an enduser device 2102 (FIG. 37 ).

The at least one microphone 32 is preferably an ambient microphone,positioned away from the speaker's mouth. The at least one microphone ispreferably operable to detect sound frequencies for objects likely to beapproaching, such as drones, planes, helicopters, and the like. In oneembodiment, the at least one microphone detects sounds between about0-96 kHz. In one embodiment, the at least one microphone includes leveldependent function for ambient listening. In yet another embodiment, theat least one microphone is operable to filter ambient noise from desiredsounds (i.e., noise canceling). In a preferred embodiment, the at leastone microphone is at least two microphones. In one example, a firstmicrophone is positioned on a front side of the load-bearing garment anda second microphone is positioned on a rear side of the load-bearinggarment.

The present invention further provides for an optical head-mounteddisplay 53, such as smart eyeglasses, in wired or wireless electroniccommunication with the at least one processor. An example of an opticalhead-mounted display is GOOGLE GLASS. Another example is described inU.S. Publication No. 20170045337 for smart wearable mine detector byinventor Chiwook Kim, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety. The smart eyeglasses are operable to display a directionand/or known characteristics of an object. In a preferred embodiment,the eyeglasses include a MEMS magnetometer to determine a direction ofview. In another preferred embodiment, the tactical system is operableto direct a user how to turn to view an object. In one embodiment, thetactical system is operable to outline the approximate location of theobject in the eyeglass lenses when the object is within the field ofview. In another embodiment, the eyeglasses are operable to estimatepupil size of the operator.

The forward-facing camera 20 works in conjunction with a rangefinder 26to determine a range of a detected object. In one embodiment, therangefinder 26 is a laser rangefinder. In another embodiment, theforward-facing camera and rangefinder operate via coincidence orparallax rangefinding to determine the distance of an object, asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,482,658, issued Jul. 9, 2013, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In one embodiment, therangefinder has a fixed distance and orientation with respect to theforward-facing camera 20 via a rigid support, such as a steel or plasticplate (not shown). In one embodiment, the range of the detected objectis determined by the user pointing the rangefinder such that the objectis in the center of view shown in the head-mounted display 53. In apreferred embodiment, the rangefinder is operable to transmit data tothe end user device via wireless or wireless methods. The data ispreferably operable to be incorporated into software or a mobileapplication running on the end user device. Examples of software or amobile application running on the end user device include, but are notlimited to, Digitally Aided Close Air Support (DACAS), Android TacticalAssault Kit (ATAK), Safe Strike, and other situational awarenesssoftware or applications for military, law enforcement, and firstresponders.

The at least one processor and software are operable to generate alertswhen an object meets certain criteria, such as displaying hostile oranomalous behavior and/or fitting a predetermined profile, such asoperating sound frequencies, silhouette, infrared (IR) signature, WI-FIsignature, and the like. The alerts preferably include an identity ofthe object, a direction of the object, a relative location of theobject, an absolute location of the object, a relative motion of theobject, an absolute motion of the object, a type of motion of the object(e.g., ballistic or stochastic motion), and the like.

Herein, the direction of the object means the general orientation of theobject relative to the user, such as North East or 45 degrees; therelative location of the object means distance and direction of theobject relative to the user; the absolute location of the object meansthe location of the object with respect to the Earth, such aslatitude/longitude, as determined by GPS; the relative motion of theobject means the velocity and direction of motion of the object relativeto the user; the absolute motion of the object means the velocity anddirection of motion of the object with respect to the Earth asdetermined by GPS. In one embodiment, the GPS component, the at leastone camera, the rangefinder, and the at least one processor are operableto determine the absolute location of the object.

The tactical system includes at least one sound generator (e.g.,speaker) 35, tactors 45 (tactile sensors), and/or a video jack 40incorporated into the load-bearing garment to provide for auditory,tactile, and/or visual alerts. Additionally, or alternatively, thetactical system includes a pluggable outlet for the auditory alerts 36.In an alternative embodiment, the auditory, tactile, and/or visualalerts are provided by an end user device (e.g., smartphone or tablet,FIG. 37 ). In one embodiment, the tactical system includes at least onevibration device in the device to provide non-audible alerts. In oneexample, the tactical system includes four vibration devices on a frontside, a left side, a right side, and a back side. Advantageously, thisallows for non-audible direction alerts (e.g., move left, move right).

The tactical system further includes at least one physiological sensor25 and/or at least one environmental sensor 28. The at least onephysiological sensor 25 includes a heart rate sensor, a blood pressuresensor, a skin temperature sensor, a galvanic skin response sensor, asweat sensor, an analyte sensor, a respiration sensor (e.g.,Piezo-Electric Respiratory Effort Belt, Respiratory InductancePlesthysmography band), a pulse oximeter, and the like. The at least oneenvironmental sensor 28 includes a radiation sensor, a chemical sensor(e.g., airborne chemicals), a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, ahumidity sensor, an odor sensor (e.g., blood, urine, feces, body odor),and the like. In one embodiment, the odor sensor utilizes body odor as abiometric identifier to identify at least one person.

In another embodiment, the tactical system further includes a firearmstatus sensor. In one embodiment, the firearm status sensor includes3-axis telemetry and/or a holster sensor. In another embodiment, thefirearm status sensor is operable to identify an individual whodischarged a firearm. Examples of firearm status sensors are disclosedin U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,400,150, 9,404,698, and 9,395,132 and U.S.Publication Nos. 20160169603, 20160173832, 20170074617, and 20170160041,each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

A tactical system according to the present invention further includes acommunication device (e.g., transceiver) 30 operable to communicate with(i.e., transmit information to and/or receive information from) othertactical systems in the vicinity and/or at least one remote device(e.g., server, computer, drone, aircraft, unmanned ground robot, remotecontrol vehicle). Alternatively, the communication device (e.g.,transceiver) 30 is an end user device 2102 (FIG. 37 ). In a preferredembodiment, the communication device is operable to form amobile/wireless ad hoc network 200 (MANET or WANET) or mesh network withother communication devices (FIG. 38 ). The tactical system is operableto transmit alerts and other messages generated by the tactical systemor by the user through the communication device to other tacticalsystems in the vicinity.

When operating as a MANET system, the MANET system provides forcalculating trajectories and arrival times of approaching objects usingtriangulation/multilateration methods. Thus, the MANET system candetermine and communicate to the users a direction of approachingobjects, an order in which the approaching objects will arrive, a timeoffset between a first approaching object arrival and a secondapproaching object arrival, a time when the approaching objects arewithin a range of fire of the MANET system users' weapons, and the like.

In one embodiment, the MANET system uses parallel computing and/ordistributed computing to more quickly determine the location and motionof objects. The computational tasks are distributed among the personaltactical systems 10.

In another embodiment, the MANET system uses computer visiontriangulation to determine the location of objects, as described inMultiple View Geometry in Computer Vision by Richard Hartley and AndrewZisserman (2003) published by Cambridge University Press, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Computer visiontriangulation is the process of determining a point in 3D space givenits projections onto two, or more, images. Computer vision triangulationuses a camera projection matrix, a 3×4 matrix which describes themapping of a pinhole camera from 3D points in the world to 2D points inan image. As shown in the example in FIG. 38 , personal tactical system10 receives images 70 of an object from a drone 90, and uses them tocalculate a direction, a location, and movement of the object.

Alternatively, or additionally, the MANET system uses a type oftriangulation that uses three tactical systems as a group antennaconfiguration to perform direction finding by using multilateration ofradiofrequencies. Commonly used in civil and military surveillanceapplications, multilateration is able to accurately locate an aircraft,vehicle, or stationary RF emitter by measuring a “Time Difference ofArrival” (TDOA) of a signal from the emitter at three or more receiversites. If a pulse is emitted from a platform, it will arrive at slightlydifferent times at two spatially separated receiver sites, the TDOAbeing due to the different distances of each receiver from the platform.This location information is then supplied to a mapping process thatutilizes a database of mapping images that are extracted from thedatabase based on a latitude and a longitude provided by thegeo-location or direction-finding device. The mapping images is scannedin to show the points of interest where a signal is either expected tobe emanating from based on the database information or from an averagetaken from the database information and the geo-location calculationperformed prior to the mapping software being called. The user cancontrol the map to maximize or minimize the mapping screen to get abetter view which is more fit to provide information of the signaltransmissions (i.e., zoom in, zoom out, re-center the map). In oneembodiment, the mapping process does not rely on outside mappingsoftware. The mapping capability has the ability to generate the mapimage and to populate a mapping database that preferably includesinformation from third party maps to meet specific user requirements.

In an embodiment, triangulation and multilateration utilize a Bayesiantype filter that predicts possible movement and future location andoperation of devices based on input collected from the TDOA andgeolocation processes and the variables from the static databasepertaining to the specified signal of interest. The Bayesian filtertakes the input changes in time difference and its inverse function(i.e., frequency difference) and takes average changes in signalvariation to detect and predict the movement of the signals. The signalchanges are measured within 1 ns time difference and the filterpreferably also adapts its gradient error calculation to remove unwantedsignals that may cause errors due to signal multipath, inter-symbolinterference, and other signal noise.

In one embodiment, the changes within a 1 ns time difference for eachsample for each unique signal is recorded. The spectrum managementdevice then performs the inverse and computes and records the frequencydifference and phase difference between each sample for each uniquesignal. The spectrum management device takes the same signal andcalculates an error based on other input signals coming in within the 1ns time and averages and filters out the computed error to equalize thesignal. The spectrum management device determines the time differenceand frequency difference of arrival for that signal and computes theodds of where the signal is emanating from based on the frequency bandparameters presented from the spectral analysis and processorcomputations, and determines the best position from which the signal istransmitted (i.e., origin of the signal).

In a preferred embodiment, the MANET system uses radiofrequencytriangulation/multilateration to determine the location of the personaltactical systems in the network. Thus, in one embodiment, each personaltactical system emits a unique pulse 80 (FIG. 38 ), which is used by theMANET system to determine the location of the individual systems withrespect to one another. With the relative locations of the personaltactical systems known, the MANET system uses this location informationto more precisely calculate with computer vision triangulation orradiofrequency triangulation the location, relative to the MANET systemand each personal tactical system, of objects spotted by the personaltactical system cameras.

With the addition of a compass to each personal tactical system, theMANET system can calculate the object location without having to uselandmarks. The MANET system uses the azimuths of the cameras to moreprecisely determine the direction of the objects, which are then used bythe MANET system to calculate the location.

With the addition of a compass and a GPS component to each personaltactical system, the MANET system can determine the absolute location ofobjects with respect to the Earth.

The personal tactical system and the MANET system are also configured totransmit data to a server for processing and/or storage. FIG. 39 is aschematic diagram of an embodiment of the invention illustrating acomputer system, generally described as 800, having a network 810, aplurality of computing devices 820, 830, 840, a server 850, and adatabase 870.

The server 850 is constructed, configured, and coupled to enablecommunication over a network 810 with a plurality of computing devices820, 830, 840. The server 850 includes a processing unit 851 with anoperating system 852. The operating system 852 enables the server 850 tocommunicate through network 810 with the remote, distributed userdevices. Database 870 may house an operating system 872, memory 874, andprograms 876.

In one embodiment of the invention, the system 800 includes acloud-based network 810 for distributed communication via a wirelesscommunication antenna 812 and processing by at least one mobilecommunication computing device 830. Alternatively, wireless and wiredcommunication and connectivity between devices and components describedherein include wireless network communication such as WI-FI, WORLDWIDEINTEROPERABILITY FOR MICROWAVE ACCESS (WIMAX), Radio Frequency (RF)communication including RF identification (RFID), NEAR FIELDCOMMUNICATION (NFC), BLUETOOTH including BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY (BLE),ZIGBEE, Infrared (IR) communication, cellular communication, satellitecommunication, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Ethernet communications,communication via fiber-optic cables, coaxial cables, twisted paircables, and/or any other type of wireless or wired communication. Inanother embodiment of the invention, the system 800 is a virtualizedcomputing system capable of executing any or all aspects of softwareand/or application components presented herein on the computing devices820, 830, 840. In certain aspects, the computer system 800 may beimplemented using hardware or a combination of software and hardware,either in a dedicated computing device, or integrated into anotherentity, or distributed across multiple entities or computing devices.

By way of example, and not limitation, the computing devices 820, 830,840 are intended to represent various forms of digital computers 820,840, 850 and mobile devices 830, such as a server, blade server,mainframe, mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone,desktop computer, netbook computer, tablet computer, workstation,laptop, and other similar computing devices. The components shown here,their connections and relationships, and their functions, are meant tobe exemplary only, and are not meant to limit implementations of theinvention described and/or claimed in this document.

In one embodiment, the computing device 820 includes components such asa processor 860, a system memory 862 having a random access memory (RAM)864 and a read-only memory (ROM) 866, and a system bus 868 that couplesthe memory 862 to the processor 860. In another embodiment, thecomputing device 830 may additionally include components such as astorage device 890 for storing the operating system 892 and one or moreapplication programs 894, a network interface unit 896, and/or aninput/output controller 898. Each of the components may be coupled toeach other through at least one bus 868. The input/output controller 898may receive and process input from, or provide output to, a number ofother devices 899, including, but not limited to, alphanumeric inputdevices, mice, electronic styluses, display units, touch screens, signalgeneration devices (e.g., speakers), or printers.

By way of example, and not limitation, the processor 860 may be ageneral-purpose microprocessor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)),a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microcontroller, a Digital SignalProcessor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), aField Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD),a controller, a state machine, gated or transistor logic, discretehardware components, or any other suitable entity or combinationsthereof that can perform calculations, process instructions forexecution, and/or other manipulations of information.

In another implementation, shown as 840 in FIG. 39 , multiple processors860 and/or multiple buses 868 may be used, as appropriate, along withmultiple memories 862 of multiple types (e.g., a combination of a DSPand a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or moremicroprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core).

Also, multiple computing devices may be connected, with each deviceproviding portions of the necessary operations (e.g., a server bank, agroup of blade servers, or a multi-processor system). Alternatively,some steps or methods may be performed by circuitry that is specific toa given function.

According to various embodiments, the computer system 800 may operate ina networked environment using logical connections to local and/or remotecomputing devices 820, 830, 840, 850 through a network 810. A computingdevice 830 may connect to a network 810 through a network interface unit896 connected to a bus 868. Computing devices may communicatecommunication media through wired networks, direct-wired connections orwirelessly, such as acoustic, RF, or infrared, through an antenna 897 incommunication with the network antenna 812 and the network interfaceunit 896, which may include digital signal processing circuitry whennecessary. The network interface unit 896 may provide for communicationsunder various modes or protocols.

In one or more exemplary aspects, the instructions may be implemented inhardware, software, firmware, or any combinations thereof. A computerreadable medium may provide volatile or non-volatile storage for one ormore sets of instructions, such as operating systems, data structures,program modules, applications, or other data embodying any one or moreof the methodologies or functions described herein. The computerreadable medium may include the memory 862, the processor 860, and/orthe storage media 890 and may be a single medium or multiple media(e.g., a centralized or distributed computer system) that store the oneor more sets of instructions 900. Non-transitory computer readable mediaincludes all computer readable media, with the sole exception being atransitory, propagating signal per se. The instructions 900 may furtherbe transmitted or received over the network 810 via the networkinterface unit 896 as communication media, which may include a modulateddata signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism andincludes any delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means asignal that has one or more of its characteristics changed or set in amanner as to encode information in the signal.

Storage devices 890 and memory 862 include, but are not limited to,volatile and non-volatile media such as cache, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM,FLASH memory, or other solid state memory technology; discs (e.g.,digital versatile discs (DVD), HD-DVD, BLU-RAY, compact disc (CD), orCD-ROM) or other optical storage; magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,magnetic disk storage, floppy disks, or other magnetic storage devices;or any other medium that can be used to store the computer readableinstructions and which can be accessed by the computer system 800.

It is also contemplated that the computer system 800 may not include allof the components shown in FIG. 39 , may include other components thatare not explicitly shown in FIG. 39 , or may utilize an architecturecompletely different than that shown in FIG. 39 . The variousillustrative logical blocks, modules, elements, circuits, and algorithmsdescribed in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may beimplemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinationsof both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware andsoftware, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits,and steps have been described above generally in terms of theirfunctionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware orsoftware depends upon the particular application and design constraintsimposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement thedescribed functionality in varying ways for each particular application(e.g., arranged in a different order or partitioned in a different way),but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing adeparture from the scope of the present invention.

The above-mentioned examples are provided to serve the purpose ofclarifying the aspects of the invention, and it will be apparent to oneskilled in the art that they do not serve to limit the scope of theinvention. By way of example, the battery includes more than twoflexible omnidirectional leads. Also by way of example, the pouch hasdifferent dimensions than those listed. By nature, this invention ishighly adjustable, customizable and adaptable. The above-mentionedexamples are just some of the many configurations that the mentionedcomponents can take on. All modifications and improvements have beendeleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but areproperly within the scope of the present invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A tactical system comprising: aload-bearing garment; at least one power distribution and data hub; anda pouch with one or more batteries enclosed in the pouch; wherein theone or more batteries are operable to supply power to the at least onepower distribution and data hub; and wherein the at least one powerdistribution and data hub is operable to supply power to at least onedevice.
 2. The tactical system of claim 1, wherein the load-bearinggarment is a vest, body armor, or a plate carrier.
 3. The tacticalsystem of claim 1, wherein the one or more batteries comprise: at leastone battery element; and a battery cover including one or more channelsto accommodate wires of one or more flexible omnidirectional leads and acompartment sized to receive the at least one battery element; the oneor more flexible omnidirectional leads including a connector portion anda wiring portion, wherein a flexible spring is provided around thewiring portion, wherein the wiring portion and the flexible spring areheld securely in the one or more channels in the battery cover such thata portion of the flexible spring is positioned inside the battery coverand a portion of the flexible spring is positioned outside the batterycover.
 4. The tactical system of claim 1, wherein the at least onedevice is a tablet, a smartphone, a computer, a radio, a range finder, alaser designator, a global positioning system (GPS) device, night visiongoggles, an electronic jamming system, a mine detector, a metaldetector, a camera, a thermal imaging device, a short wave infrared(SWIR) device, a satellite phone, an antenna, a lighting system, anenvironmental system, an amplifier, a receiver, a temperature sensor, adepth sensor, and/or a drone.
 5. The tactical system of claim 1, furthercomprising control electronics configured to determine a state of chargeof the one or more batteries.
 6. The tactical system of claim 1, whereinthe pouch, the at least one power distribution and data hub, and/or theone or more batteries include at least one layer of a material resistantto heat and/or a material resistant to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/orother projectiles.
 7. The tactical system of claim 1, further comprisingat least one camera for capturing images, wherein the at least onecamera is in wireless or wired communication with the at least one powerdistribution and data hub.
 8. The tactical system of claim 1, whereinthe pouch is modular lightweight load-carrying equipment(MOLLE)-compatible.
 9. The tactical system of claim 1, wherein the pouchis operable to affix to the load-bearing garment using at least onezipper.
 10. The tactical system of claim 1, further comprising at leastone transceiver operable to transmit information to and/or receiveinformation from at least one remote device.
 11. The tactical system ofclaim 1, further comprising at least one physiological sensor, arangefinder, at least one environmental sensor, at least one microphone,at least one tactor, at least one global positioning system (GPS)component, at least one frequency scanner, at least one sound generator,at least one audio jack, at least one video jack, at least one firearmsensor, and/or an optical head-mounted display.
 12. The tactical systemof claim 1, wherein the load-bearing garment includes a materialresistant to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/or other projectiles, andwherein the material resistant to bullets, knives, shrapnel, and/orother projectiles includes a metal, a polymer, a ceramic, an aramid, anultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, a carbon fiber compositematerial, boron nitride, a boron nitride composite material, a shearthickening fluid, and/or a magnetorheological fluid.
 13. A tacticalsystem comprising: a load-bearing garment; at least one camera forcapturing images; at least one power distribution and data hub; and oneor more batteries; wherein the at least one camera is incorporated inand/or removably attachable to the load-bearing garment; wherein the oneor more batteries are operable to supply power to the at least one powerdistribution and data hub; wherein the at least one power distributionand data hub is operable to supply power to at least one peripheraldevice.
 14. The tactical system of claim 13, wherein the one or morebatteries are operable to supply power to the at least one camera. 15.The tactical system of claim 13, further comprising image recognitionsoftware operable to identify at least one object and/or at least oneperson in the images.
 16. The tactical system of claim 13, furtherincluding a communication device operable to transmit an alert relatingto the at least one object and/or the at least one person identified inthe images, wherein the one or more batteries are operable to supplypower to the communication device.
 17. A tactical system comprising: aload-bearing garment; at least one camera for capturing images; at leastone power distribution and data hub; and one or more batteries; whereinthe one or more batteries are operable to supply power to the at leastone power distribution and data hub; and wherein the at least one powerdistribution and data hub and/or the one or more batteries are operableto supply power to the at least one camera.
 18. The tactical system ofclaim 17, wherein the load-bearing garment includes the one or morebatteries.
 19. The tactical system of claim 17, wherein the load-bearinggarment is a vest, body armor, or a plate carrier.
 20. The tacticalsystem of claim 17, wherein the one or more batteries are operable tosupply power to at least one peripheral device.